Search of the Unknown
by Piotr's girl
Summary: OC- Natalie Wayne never expected to move outside her country community. But what happens when visions of the lost bring her to Bayville? And what's with her crazy eyes? Chapter 11 up! PG-13 for some language. Please review, cookies for all!
1. Prologue

"Natalie! Natalie wake up!"  
  
Ms. Audrey Wayne looked her daughter over skeptically as the girl lat wrapped up in soft aqua sheets. Natalie stirred and opened her eyes.  
  
"Come on, mama, five more minutes, please?"  
  
"No, ya got school today!"  
  
Natalie slowly got up and swung her tan legs over the side of the bed. "Oh yeah, school."  
  
Ms. Wayne just smiled at her young daughter. "It's not that bad, is it?"  
  
"It is when ya got precalc finals."  
  
Her mother just laughed and swatted the girl with a pillow. "Get going before you're late."  
  
"Yes'm." Natalie smiled and busied herself getting ready.  
  
* * *  
  
Natalie walked into the main room wearing a black laced tank, faded row- rider jeans and Vans, and had her hair pulled back into a low ponytail, with the curly pieces falling around her gently curved face.  
  
"Mama I gotta go now. I'll see ya after school."  
  
She started out the door, and Ms. Wayne yelled after her as she walked out the door. "Don't forget a jacket!"  
  
Natalie picked it up off of the back of the recliner and headed out. Sure was a nice day for a walk.  
  
Upon arriving at school, Natalie somehow begin feeling badly. Something wasn't right, but she couldn't place what it was, exactly. So she just ignored it and carried on.  
  
"Nat! Wait up!"  
  
She turned to face Stormy Rogers, her best friend. Stormy's dark grey eyes looked her friend over. "A jacket, Nat?"  
  
"Hey, my mom's idea, swear to God." Natalie held up her hands in defense, laughing.  
  
"Besides, I'll probably need it in English later. You know Ms. Chase always keeps it like 50 below."  
  
Stormy just laughed, her blonde hair bouncing behind her. "Let's get going."  
  
Later on in class, Natalie's eyes began to hurt.  
  
"Could just be the overhead", she mused. Well who needed to learn poetry, anyway? Break time. Natalie stretched her arms and legs, then relaxed with a content expression. Muffled laughter came from behind, so Natalie swung her foot behind her, making contact with Stormy's shin.  
  
"Hey watch it!" Stormy whispered to her. Natalie just laughed.  
  
Natalie stopped as suddenly a wave of panic swept over her. She looked out, what she saw couldn't possibly be real!  
  
She saw an overturned car in front of her. It must have been twenty years old. And old tires lay in piles around her. She looked up to see wooden walls, old cracked, and weathered with age, and small holes where windows once were, with dim sunlight pouring through them. She looked down. She couldn't believe it. Those hands. They weren't hers. They were broken, bleeding. Clawing at the dirt for a way out. She saw that they were connected to arms, and the ends of those arms. . . underneath some heavy load. What was this place? So dark and scary. . .  
  
"Nat? Nat!"  
  
Natalie snapped and jerked around to find Stormy staring at her. "You okay?"  
  
Natalie pressed her hands to her face. "I don't know, Stormy, I don't know."  
  
* * *  
  
Later on that day, when she arrived home, Mr. and Ms. Wayne were watching tv.  
  
"Can you imagine?" her mother said. "Losing your own child like that. So many sick people out there. . ."  
  
"Mom, what's up?"  
  
"Ya remember the McKabe's? Sandy's been kidnapped! They don't know where she is."  
  
"Do they have any leads?"  
  
"Could be gang related." Ms. Wayne sighed. "But who knows anymore?"  
  
Natalie looked up. "I might know."  
  
"How would you know?"  
  
"I had a nightmare at school, I think. I was seeing. . . I was seeing hands trying to free themselves from underneath of something. It was scary, I thought I was going to cry. . ."  
  
She looked up. "It kept coming back, but got dimmer and dimmer each time."  
  
"Honey, the authorities aren't interested in dreams."  
  
"But what if it wasn't a dream?"  
  
"It was."  
  
"Then how do you explain Turner-C?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Turner-C. In my last vision, I saw looking out of a window, I think. And on the building it said Turner-C."  
  
"That's impossible! I'm tired of hearing about this, go do your homework."  
  
"Yes'm."  
  
Natalie walked to her room and shut the door. She picked up the phone and dialed.  
  
"Hi, operator? I want to leave a tip. This will remain anonymous, right?"  
  
* * *  
  
"Thomas!"  
  
"Yeah Audrey?"  
  
"They found Sandy!"  
  
"Good! Where was she?"  
  
"Gang territory, in the old warehouse."  
  
"They find the guy?"  
  
"No. Lucky they found her, she could have died."  
  
"How so?"  
  
"She was underneath a car."  
  
"Oh god, poor Rich. I'm sure he's heartbroken. So you mean to say that them punks are holed up in Rob Turner Toyota now?"  
  
"Guess so, Tom."  
  
"Great."  
  
Natalie smiled from where she sat at the table. She liked this new power, or whatever it was, that she now had. She rubbed her eyes, they burned.  
  
She ran to the bathroom to flush them out, but leaned in closer and gasped.  
  
"My eyes turned yellow!" she screamed.  
  
She looked again, terrified, as the irises in her eyes began to flicker, and turned a horrible green color, far from the original blue they once were.  
  
"What is happening to me?"  
  
* * *  
  
Natalie glanced around to make sure that no one was following her. She pushed her sunglasses farther up her nose. She held her backpack close to her. She needed help.  
  
"What can I do ya for, miss?"  
  
She smiled at the man. "One-way ticket to Bayville, please."  
  
As she boarded the train, she picked up her cellphone and dialed a number written in the palm of her hand.  
  
"Like, hello?"  
  
"Hi, um. . . can I speak to Professor Xavier?"  
  
"Sure, like hold on."  
  
A few moments later, Natalie's ears were filled with the rich voice, heavily accented in British, that could only belong to the Professor.  
  
"How may I help you Miss Wayne?"  
  
"Hi, um yeah I was looking online and I saw your school. . . I think I'm a mutant. Can you help me? I'm on my way to Bayville. My parents don't know, please don't tell them. They'll hate me."  
  
"Yes, of course. I'll send someone to meet you at the station."  
  
"Thankyou."  
  
"Of course."  
  
Click.  
  
Time for her to adjust. But what if she really was one of those, those. . . mutants? It was bad enough that she was having that horrible nightmare about Sandy. But was with the rainbow eyes? They had changed back to blue soon after, but she kept fearing another change, and so they changed green again. This was just getting freaky. Little did she know how freaky her life would become once she arrived at the institute. 


	2. Cerebro files

Characters Name: Natalie Christine Wayne  
  
Nicknames: Nat, Leigh-leigh, Chrissie, Brat-a-lie, Rainbowgirl  
  
Codename: Searchlight  
  
Affiliation: X-Men  
  
Gender: Female  
  
Age: 16  
  
Grade: 11th  
  
Classes: Beginners weight training, Honors Literature, Advanced Placement American History, Driver's Ed, Honors Physics, Pre-Calculus  
  
Eyes: Naturally aqua. Since her powers developed, however, they change into a variety of colors depending on the mood that she is currently in.  
  
Hair: light brown with red streaks. She keeps it just below her shoulders, and flipped, and has pieces clipped back from her face like 2 pigtails, and lets two red bangs frame her face. She also likes to braid in two.  
  
Build: average for her size and frame  
  
Height: 5' 4"  
  
Weight: 130 lbs  
  
Other features: Natalie doesn't smile much, but she is usually happy. . . except when her powers are in use. She has a small scar through her right eyebrow, due to a horseback riding accident when she was eight. Her skin is slightly tanned (sun-kissed, if you will) from spending many days outside under the hot southern sun, and she has thin, willowy hands. She also has little feet. She has large eyes, and a smaller rosebud mouth.  
  
Power: Can see through the eyes of lost children. She can psychically connect with certain children, though they've never met, and she can see what the child sees, often being able to find where the child is. There is no particular pattern to it, it's just whoever's silent pleas reach her first. She can't try and connect with only certain ones. (i. e. If Sam Guthrie is kidnapped by Magneto or something, Natalie can't find him. His 'pleas' as she calls them have to find her. Many times, they are lost among the world, or go to someone who can't interpret the incoming messages, since there is such a jumble. Only very few actually make it to her mind. This is why she can't always find them.)  
  
But it only works sometimes, and only with lost children. The true nature of her power is still unknown (such as why is it only lost children that can be helped), and has yet to be discovered. But for now, she cannot hold onto these visions for a long period of time, and they grow more vague by the minute, and the memory eventually disappears altogether, after about twenty minutes at the most.  
  
Also recently noted, the type of 'lost children' that she connects to are often those in danger. Those wanting to get home. Those who are terrified beyond the imagination can possibly muster. Runaways and such don't normally appear on the list... unless someone is after them, or they are in true and real physical danger.  
  
Her eyes also change colors with her mood, often reflecting a bright rainbow. They are as follows:  
  
Bright yellow- happy  
  
Bright green- frightened  
  
Light blue/ aqua- calm  
  
Dark or midnight blue- sad  
  
Black- angry  
  
Brown- tense or nervous  
  
Orange- annoyed or perplexed, frustrated  
  
Red- jealous  
  
Purple- playful, laughing  
  
Pink- lovestruck  
  
Grey- confused  
  
White- embarrassed  
  
Rainbow (flashing)- very happy or excited  
  
Let it be known that though her eyes change colors at a sometimes alarming rate, it does not actually harm her.  
  
Stregnths/Weaknesses:  
  
Natalie can only vaguely see through the eyes of the lost child, and cannot hold it for very long, maybe 5-10 seconds at a time, and it gets more vague every time. If she holds it longer, she could pass out, or possibly force herself into a coma. Not much else it known, as her power is still developing, but is not expected to grow much more.  
  
Home Location: Was Baldwin, Florida, now lives in Bayville  
  
Bio:  
  
Natalie grew up in Northern Suburban Florida with her two seemingly "old" parents, two married older sisters, two neices, and grandparents. She lived there her whole life, and spent her years in public schooling.  
  
Her parents found her to be "exceptionally gifted in academics" and placed her in a preparatory school for gifted children. Natalie found the faster- paced lifestyle at this school to be rather overwhelming, and transferred back to her old school in the country after only one school term.  
  
Once there, she joined many clubs, including the Honors Society, Positive Role Models, the Future Farmers of America (as an inside joke among the few friends that she had), and also bowled on the school team for a year. It was all an effort to be more sociable than she found herself to be at that time.  
  
It was very dull in a small town like that, so Natalie and her handful of friends did their best to make things more interesting, often at another's expense. Natalie can be quite a prankster once she gets an idea in her head. For example, when the Senior Class hosted their annual carwash to raise money for the Homecoming Dance, Natalie convinced her three friends Cheyenne, Stormy, and her older friend Haylee to go mudding in her pick-up, then show up at the car wash! Needless to say, the Class of 2003 were none too pleased.  
  
She was always successful in her academics, but always felt that what she did was somehow not good enough for her overshadowing parents. But for the most part, she enjoyed the slower pace of country-suburban life. Nothing exciting ever happened (sans the new traffic lights installed three years ago!). . . until the night of her 15th birthday.  
  
On the night of her 15th birthday, Natalie and her parents were eating supper when a news special cam on the air. A little girl, Sandy McKabe, the daughter of the couple who owned McKabe's Hardware downtown, had been kidnapped from her bedroom. No one knew where she had been taken.  
  
Natalie jerked her head up, wide-eyed and shaking. Her parents were shocked when they heard her say "I know where she is."  
  
As it turned out, Natalie was seeing visions of the inside of a warehouse. She had saw Turner-C posted on a building outside of the window, and recognized it as a said hot-spot for gang activity. She privately phoned in the tip and saved Sandy's life, though they had never met! Natalie just passed it off as a coincidence.  
  
A few months later, a little boy became missing on a hunting trip with his father and had fallen down an old well and was trapped. Natalie began seeing vague visions: Hands grabbing at dirt, and light shining down into a dark hole.  
  
When it was reported that the little boy was missing, Natalie joined the search, and the boy was found. He had a broken leg, but he was alive! Again, the two had never met before.  
  
She became deeply perplexed by the whole situation, but at the same time excited that she could be a mutant. . . so excited, in fact, that her eyes began to change colors with her mood. She became very frightened by it, and no matter what she did, her eyes wouldn't stay their natural color.  
  
Natalie became frightened that she might be hated by her community, and somehow feared letting down her parents, and became completely convinced that such was so. After some online researching, she found the location of the Xavier Institute for gifted youngsters. After contacting the professor, she packed up her belongings and bought a train ticket to Bayville.  
  
Likes: Good food, music, dancing, humans and mutants alike  
  
Dislikes: horses, Satan and satanic beings, and boybands. ALL boybands. And anything that reminds her of a boyband. Boybands must burn. . .  
  
Personality: Natalie tries to act unhappy, but she really is not that bad off. Her only true weakness in her personality is her pride, and fear of rejection. She cannot back down from a dare, and she has to succeed in everything she does.  
  
She is competitive, but often has a quiet victory, not to say that she doesn't like to celebrate! She is not a party-goer, and she's conservative, but she always wishes she could open up more. But in the end, she always holds herself back.  
  
However, more than anything (even more than home-grown collard greens and sweet cornbread) she loves art, and she's really good. Her main focus is people, and she is fascinated with their reactions and emotions. So, when she decides to talk amongst a crowd, rather than sit back and enjoy people- watching, she may try to jerk your chain, but it's all fun and games to her.  
  
Sometimes, though, she'll go a little further than that, often playing practical jokes on other people. Some incidents she have pulled off with friends are the mudding incident, (read on for information), prankcalling the local Burger King, toilet-papering it after a girl from school had been fired, and hanging a huge sign on the billboard coming into town that said "Mrs. Crawford smells like a cow patty!" Mrs. Crawford was the cheerleading coach at school and their homeroom teacher, and also loved to share in jokes like that.  
  
Favorite Saying: She talks a lot, and many things are just bits of random insanity. She talks with a strong southern accent, but not as exaggerated as Rogue's ;) Some lines fo' ya:  
  
"Ah wanna go ta Hawaii, yay!"  
  
" *name goes here* smells lahk a cow patty!"  
  
"Oh, screw it."  
  
"Hee-eey!"  
  
"Hey nerd! Need a hero cookie fo' ya trouble?"  
  
"Ya freakin' retard!"  
  
"Ya small anus dwelling butt-monkey!" (don't ask)  
  
"Can ah get a lay-up?"  
  
"Flamer!"  
  
Fears: the unknown  
  
Clothing: Normally wears faded levis with a yellow lace corsetted top and a matching choker. She also loves brown thick-soled boots. She always has some of her hair clipped back. Other days, when it's warm, she wears a very short, flared denim skirt with a sky blue top and small rainbow on the front and a phrase "We're taking it back." She wears a striped choker and black converses with this.  
  
Bathing suit: royal blue and aqua two-toned tankini. That's a mouthful! ;)  
  
Pajamas: white knee-length spaghetti-strap gown that ties off at just above her waist in a little bow. Straight neck line.  
  
Uniform: Black leather halter, with an aqua stripe running down it, forming a star in the middle of her chest, and cutting down in a triangle to bare her stomach. Paired with black leather pants with an aqua stripe on her hips, and black leather boots with aqua soles. She also wears very long, black leather gloves. It didn't originally look like this, but. . . well, never give an artistic person a really ugly looking outfit, lest they know where a good pair of scissors are. She doesn't battle much, since she can't fight worth crap, but she has it anyway. She wears it to Danger Room sessions, and sometimes outside on missions, but other than that, she's usually working behind the scenes.  
  
Known family:  
  
Jonathan and Margaret Wayne (grandparents)  
  
Thomas and Audrey Wayne (parents)  
  
Michael and Maire Brooks (sister and brother-in-law)  
  
Samuel and Jennifer Stewart (sister and brother-in-law)  
  
Angela and Rachel Brooks (neices)  
  
Music:  
  
Loves Country, especially Shania Twain and Toby Keith (go figure), Rock, especially punk, like Simple Plan or Limp Bizkit, and the oldies, especially Dion. (Her favorite song is Teenager in Love-- Dion is her secret crush, if he was still that young and good-looking!) She has also recently discovered "Punk Christian" meaning bands such as East West or Relient K, her personal favorite. (Aside from that cutie Dion!)  
  
Addition information:  
  
Natalie is a klutz. Do not give her alcohol or large amounts of sugar. (Not like she drinks, but don't spike it.) She gets loud and silly, and will probably do something really stupid, like break her face on concrete. It happened to her once before, when someone spiked the tea at a school dance, and Natalie, attempting to imitate Jane Goodall, broke her arm falling off of the bleachers. She doesn't go to dances anymore. And if she does. . . she won't eat or drink anything. Blame her? ;)  
  
* * *  
  
Hey! Sorry this is a bit long, or doesn't mesh completely with this story. I've been working on this profile for weeks on end, and. . . well, I'm lazy, and decided to give the short version of how exactly she wound up at the Institute, for my story purposes. But this goes into more detail (obviously! Lol) for those of you who love a good mystery and have no life like your favorite River goddess. (heh, right.) So, enjoy, please review this and let me know if ya have any suggestions, and have fun! I love you all! Kudos to everyone who takes time out to read this. I have oatmeal raisin cookies and gift-baskets of inspiration for ya'll! All my love, Piotr's girl 


	3. Train Ride

Hey Ya'll! Piotr's girl here. I'm so happy for my reviewers! Kudos to you all! Have some Oatmeal cookies! *randomly throws them out* Enjoy! And now for sharing time once again. . .  
  
Dark Jaded Rose- wow, two reviews! You have really outdone yo'self. Heh. . . yeah I'm trying to update on a regular basis. . . unfortunately, Winn- Dixie seems to think that I don't have a life. I'll show them. . . once I get home from work later!  
  
Kerrigan- Why, thankyou! I seem to think so too, if I do say so myself! Heh  
  
Damien455- hey thanks! And yeah, I had to keep looking at my bio to keep track of her. . . lol. And yeah, her powers are useless in combat (what is she gonna do, scare someone half to death with her rainbow eyes?) so I may get the hairy man-beast aka Logan to help her along in terms of defense (could eventually face Magneto's lackeys) but I'm still deciding.  
  
* * *  
  
And I am now proud to present. . . chapter 2: Train Ride  
  
On the train, Natalie just stared out of her window. Swish, swish. All of the open, gently rolling fields that she had come to love were slowly passing by. She wasn't in her native Florida anymore, with the deep woods and St. John's River cutting through it. No more beaches and warm weather.  
  
She crossed the St. Mary's River, and came through Georgia. Cotton fields and peach groves surrounded her on either side. There was such beauty and peace to it. . . and she'd be lucky if she ever saw it again. She was now afraid to go back. Her mother, Audrey, was sure to have discovered her little blue-eyed angel missing by now, and was probably having a fit about it. Natalie rolled her eyes. As if she could go back now. She was a freak.  
  
"Just breathe, Nat, breathe."  
  
She mentally willed herself not to cry. Thank God for sunglasses. They hide pain pretty well. At least she thought they did. Apparently the teen sitting across the isle didn't think so.  
  
"What's the trouble?"  
  
Natalie slowly turned her head to look at him. "Why do you care?"  
  
"I'm a sucker for damsels in distress, miss."  
  
"I'm not in distress, I-"  
  
Her head. Those visions again. A dark alleyway. A man with a gun. He leaned in. She saw his lips move, but couldn't hear anything. 'Ya ain't goin' no'where's, girl. Ya mine.' The hammer of the gun clicked. She saw it. She tried to cry out, but the words died in her throat. Then the vision died.  
  
She was shaking. The boy had her by the shoulders and shook her.  
  
"Sheila, sheila! You okay?"  
  
"Wha-what? Oh yeah, I'm, I'm fine."  
  
"Ya sure?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
He stopped shaking her, and looked at her in amazement. He sunglasses had slid down her nose, and barely peeking out, were large, vibrant, sparkling green eyes.  
  
"Your eyes, they're beautiful."  
  
Natalie quickly pushed her sunglasses back up her nose. "Thanks."  
  
"Why do you wear them?"  
  
"Light sensitive."  
  
"I see. Where you headed?"  
  
"New York."  
  
"Cool. I get off in Johnson City."  
  
"Looks like you're gonna miss your stop then." She smiled.  
  
He looked up. "Bloody hell! It's been an hour!"  
  
"Hee-eey! And we have a winner, ladies and gentleman!"  
  
"I'll be leaving now. But can I get your number first?"  
  
"Sure." She smiled yet again.  
  
After giving him her cellphone number, he waved goodbye and got off. Such a nice boy. She smiled. Yet another thing she was leaving behind was those classic southern gentleman. Wait, he couldn't have been a Southerner. . . he had a really funny air about him. She couldn't quite place her finger on it. She suddenly realized that she hadn't had another vision in the last hour. She hoped the girl in the alleyway made it, but something told her that the little girl was gone forever.  
  
* * *  
  
"Next stop, Bayville!" the conductor shouted.  
  
"Finally!" Natalie laughed to herself. "Hey conductor, ya reckon I've been on this train long enough?"  
  
"You wanna stay longer miss?"  
  
"Shoot, no!" They laughed, and she suddenly felt nervous. They were pulling into the station, and her cellphone rang.  
  
"Natalie where are you! Where?"  
  
"Mama! I-"  
  
"Nevermind, come home, we're scared out of our wits for you!"  
  
"I can't, I'm. . . I'm going through some changes."  
  
Silence.  
  
"You don't mean. . ."  
  
"Yes I do. I need to get this figured out, mama. I love you."  
  
"I love you too. Please get this problem fixed so I can have my blue-eyed angel baby back home where she belongs. With normal people."  
  
Click.  
  
Natalie's eyes welled up with tears, for the third time that day.  
  
* * *  
  
"Okay, Rogue, her train's here."  
  
"Well duh, Scott, Ah'm not blind, ya know."  
  
The two stood watching the train pull in. They were picking up Natalie for the Professor.  
  
"An' why am Ah even heah?"  
  
"You're from the south, she's from the south. . . click."  
  
"Whatevah."  
  
The train stopped and people spilled out. They watched a young girl clad in a black lace tank and low riders get off. Sunglasses were pushed to the bridge of her nose, and she looked cold.  
  
"There's ou' girl."  
  
Scott looked on, grinning at the sight of her.  
  
"How can you tell? Using Jean's powers? Making progress and not telling ol' Cyke about it?"  
  
"Uh, no. It's late winter in New York, an' the beach bunny's wearing a tank."  
  
". . . right. That would help."  
  
Rogue smiled triumphantly. "Let's go get her."  
  
* * *  
  
Natalie looked around and shivered. Real smart to not wear a jacket to a stupid Yank state.  
  
"Smooth move, Wayne." She thought bitterly.  
  
"Hi! Ya must be Natalie. . ."  
  
The girl looked up. "Who are ya'll?"  
  
"Ah'm Rogue, an' this here's-"  
  
"Scott Summers", the visor boy stuck his hand out in greeting. "Call me Cyclops."  
  
". . . right. An' call me nice ta meet ya too, kid."  
  
Rogue smiled. This new girl seemed to be alright. "Le's jest hope that ol' Scottie can keep his jaw offa the floor." She said to herself quietly.  
  
"What was that Rogue?"  
  
Scott looked at her questioningly.  
  
"Ah said Ah'm hungry. Le's get back to the institute."  
  
Scott grinned. "I'm up for that. What about you, kid?"  
  
Natalie smiled back at One-eye. "I guess so, you're my ride anyhow."  
  
* * *  
  
Woohoo! Chapter 2 is complete! Reviews please, and cookies galore! All my love, Piotr's girl 


	4. Second Chance

Woot! Here we go again!  
  
I don't think I've mentioned it, but. . . I don't own Marvel. If I did, I would be so rich *drooling*  
  
Dark Jaded Rose- Why thankyou! Yeah she is kindly sassy, but it's the southern charm, don't blame her ;)  
  
* * *  
  
And your questions shall be answered. . . peer into my crystal ball. . . or not.  
  
Dark Jaded Rose asked:  
  
Will Natalie be with any of the boys at the institute, or Acolytes maybe?  
  
Piotr's girl answers:  
  
Well I've been pondering the subject. Natalie is very self-conscious, but she acts out-going at the same time. She enjoys stirring things up, then sitting back to watch. So she'll be playing around with different guys, possibly on different teams, if ya didn't catch the boy on the train. (I think everyone knows who it is *hint hint*) Some of it will be friendship, some of it pure insanity, and. . . I'll let you ponder the rest ;)  
  
* * *  
  
Chapter 3- Second Chance  
  
Natalie walked outside of the Bayville Train Station following the boy with the shades and the girl with the white hair. She wondered if the boy with the shades had eyes that changed colors, too. But she didn't ask.  
  
"So, Natalie, you excited about the institute?" the boy, Scott, asked her.  
  
"I guess so, it's all so. . . different."  
  
"Trust me, you'll like it here. And you'll find out that everyone here is unique. It just takes a little getting used to."  
  
"Um, okay."  
  
The white-haired girl stayed silent as they walked to Scott's car.  
  
Natalie grinned and lifted her chin a little. "Nice ride."  
  
"Thanks." The boy smiled at this statement. Natalie laughed to herself.  
  
"Obviously this is one of those kinds that worship their car. He better not get on my bad side." She thought to herself.  
  
"What are you thinking so hard about?" Scott asked her as they climbed into his convertible, with Rogue sitting in the back.  
  
"I'm thinking about how I want to wear your jacket, I'm freezing my royal tail off."  
  
"Oh, sorry! I forgot you're not used to this weather!"  
  
He handed her his jacket and she wrapped it around her bare arms. Nice leather. Warm leather. Leather is good. "Thanks." She smiled.  
  
"No problem."  
  
They drove off to the institute. An awkward silence fell upon the three passengers, and after a few minutes, Rogue decided to break it.  
  
"Surf much?"  
  
"Never been."  
  
"Oh, gawd! Ah cain't believe that! I thought ya lived in Floridy!"  
  
"Yeah, I do, but that don't mean I surf." Natalie laughed.  
  
"But ya must go to tha beach a lot." Rogue almost looked a little disappointed.  
  
"Nope, the beach is probably about an hour from mah house. I don't even live close enough to the beach to even bother tryin' ta go. Shoot, if ya really wanna know, I pritty much lived in the sticks."  
  
"Tha wut?"  
  
"Sticks. Woods. I lived in the country. I'm definitely far from what ya might call a 'beach bunny'."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"So much for that stereotype." Rogue thought to herself.  
  
"So, ladies, music?"  
  
Scott turned on the radio to reveal *N'sync.  
  
"What the hell is that?"  
  
Rogue glared at Scott. Natalie glared at Scott, her sunglasses falling down her nose. She quickly pushed them back up.  
  
"Ah hate boy bands!" The two girls shouted in unison.  
  
They stared at each other, eyes wide.  
  
"You're not a telepath, are ya? Or like a channeler or somethin' are ya?" Rogue asked her.  
  
". . . no, not last time I checked. My powers are kinda weird. I'd rather not try anythin' now anyway."  
  
"Nevah asked ya to."  
  
"Okay, it's official that boybands are out." Scott said.  
  
"All boy bands." Natalie corrected him. "They are the work of Satan."  
  
"You sure about that kid?"  
  
"They might as well be."  
  
Rogue decided to interrupt. "Okay, I say Thrice."  
  
Natalie grinned at the goth. "Now we're talkin'."  
  
Scott sighed. "Thrice it is."  
  
Natalie reached over, grinning, and patted the boy on his face. "Ah knew ya weren't that bad, One-eye."  
  
"Sure you didn't."  
  
* * *  
  
A few minutes later, the car pulled through the front gates of the institute. "Home sweet home."  
  
"Oh, wow! This is really it?" Natalie's eyes widened beneath her sunglasses. If one looked closely enough, you could see her eyes brightly sparkling, red, pink, blue, orange, purple, green, yellow, and back again. They were a shining, glittering rainbow of colors, all colors imaginable.  
  
"Yep. Wouldn't have it any other way." Scott answered her.  
  
They drove inside of a parking garage that looked like it could hold about fifty cars.  
  
"Come on, let's go get some food!" Rogue yelled at her, almost smiling.  
  
". . . sure." Natalie smiled and grabbed her backpack to follow, and handed Scott back his jacket. She looked around to see a large black van with an X on the door, a beige SUV, and the sweetest motorcycle she'd ever seen.  
  
"Wow, who's bike?" She pointed.  
  
"Oh, that's Logan's. Ah wouldn't touch it if Ah were ya."  
  
"No prob."  
  
The two girls hurried through a long corridor, and Natalie holding her backpack. Paintings hung all over the walls. Whoever did the decorating for this place sure had a good taste- and a lot of money to throw around.  
  
They walked into what Rogue called a kitchen, and what Natalie saw as a huge indoor restaurant.  
  
"Ya call this a kitchen? It's freakin' huge!"  
  
Rogue just laughed. "Ya amazed by this? Jus' wait til ya see tha rest o' the house!"  
  
Rogue opened the door to the fridge and began to rummage around inside for something to eat. She pulled out two cans of pepsi, and tossed one to Natalie.  
  
"Thanks." Natalie tipped her chin down and stared out the top of her sunglasses. Rogue didn't see.  
  
"No problem."  
  
"Rogue! What did you do with my cd? I like can't find it anywhere. . ."  
  
A tall, skinny brunette with her hair pulled into a sleek ponytail stopped short when she saw Rogue in the fridge, and a strange girl sitting on a stool at the counter, with dark sunglasses pushed up as high as they would go.  
  
"Oh, like you must be new! I'm Kitty." She smiled at her.  
  
"Natalie Wayne." She smiled back.  
  
**Kitty, Rogue, I would like you to meet in the common room. Rogue, please bring our guest with you.**  
  
Rogue lifted her head toward the ceiling, as did Kitty. **Yes professa**  
  
"Natalie, ah think the professa wants ta introduce ya to tha group. Le's go to tha common room."  
  
"Sure." They started to walk out, when Natalie stopped short. The air in front of her face blurred.  
  
Running. Running through woods. It was so dark. It was almost like infrared or something. Natalie watched and became dizzy as she saw light pouring through the tree tops, then sudden jerking. The child ran, jumping over tree roots, bushes, and the like. She could see figures in the distance, with torches. Or were they spears? She couldn't be sure. Suddenly the child turned to see a dark, shadowy siloulette. The man leaned in closer, glaring at the child. He didn't utter a single word.  
  
Natalie jerked up. She was sitting in an armchair. Nearly twenty students and adults sat around this room that she was in. How did she get here?'  
  
"How. . . who brought me in here?"  
  
Natalie reached up to rub the sides of her head. "Are you alright?"  
  
She looked up to see an older hairless man in a wheelchair sitting across from her. She quickly straightened up.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine." She looked at him directly over the tops of her shades. "Really."  
  
He saw the sparkling green of her eyes and smiled at her.  
  
"Miss Wayne, you have such lovely eyes. Surely you don't want to hide them."  
  
"I'm fine." She eased back a bit.  
  
"You may take them off when you are ready."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
She glanced around to see everyone. A pretty redheaded girl smiled at her. "My name's Jean!"  
  
"Um, hi Jean."  
  
So gradually, all the students in the room introduced themselves, some more enthusiastic than others. The boy who sat next to her, was his name Kurt? Yeah. The one with blue fur all over him. He kept grinning at her, and shifting. What was his deal?  
  
Natalie finally turned to look at him. "What's up fuzzy?"  
  
"Zo like waz your power Natalie?"  
  
"I, I um. . ." She thought of how to put it.  
  
"I think I can see through other people. I don't know all who. But so far, it's just been kids. In trouble. Like they're lost or something."  
  
She felt eyes on her. Only a few remained in the room. The white-haired African woman, Scott, Rogue, Jean, Kitty, the blue-haired kid, the one named Bobby, and some unpleasant, beastly acting guy remained with the professor. Everyone else had pretty much excused themselves.  
  
"Cool." Bobby was grinning like a maniac. "Kinda like you, Jean."  
  
"Yeah, maybe." The girl smiled. "But she's got a ways to go. And something tells me she's not a complete telepath."  
  
"Thank gawd. Lahk we need another telepath 'rund heah." Rogue rolled her eyes. Jean just glared at her.  
  
Natalie smiled at all of this. "You can do it, Nat." she thought to herself. She reached to her face and slowly pulled off her sunglasses.  
  
They looked at her, especially Scott.  
  
"Okay, well she doesn't shoot lasers out of her eyes." Scott laughed.  
  
"You do?" Natalie asked him.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Cool."  
  
"But like I don't get it." Kitty started. "Professor, you said she had pretty GREEN eyes. Am I going blind, or do they look brown to you, too?"  
  
Scott, Rogue and Kitty leaned in a little closer. Jean had excused herself to do homework. Bobby and Kurt just hung back and watched, while the African woman and that one guy left. The professor stayed back and smiled to himself.  
  
"Why, yes Kitty, they do look brown."  
  
"Then, like why did you say green?"  
  
"Because", said Natalie, "Sometimes I have green eyes. Sometimes I have brown eyes. Other times I can have red, blue, purple, orange- any color imaginable.  
  
"No way." Said Bobby. "Prove it."  
  
"I can't. It depends on my mood."  
  
"So get happy."  
  
"I can't just do that on a whim!"  
  
"Try harder!" Bobby was yelling at her.  
  
"Daggumit, I'm tryin' to!" Her eyes flickered, then glowed bright orange.  
  
"Whoa! Your eyes! They're. . . orange?"  
  
Natalie gasped, then sat back. Her cheeks turned pink, then her eyes turned a silvery-white, pupils and all.  
  
"You just did that to get a rise out of me." Natalie grinned a little, but it was obvious that she was embarrassed for not seeing what was really going on.  
  
"Well, I wanted to see." Bobby grinned back.  
  
"Alright, children, it's clear that Natalie's eyes can change. Now, let's let her go and get unpacked and rested. You all have school, tomorrow, remember?"  
  
Rogue rolled her eyes. "Raght, school."  
  
Natalie laughed a little, then her eyes flickered purple. "School? We don't go to school here?"  
  
"No, we train students to control their powers here, for the benefit of mankind. We teach them self-control. The world is not ready for us, as you well know."  
  
"Yeah, so says CNN."  
  
Scott laughed. "Bayville's not that bad. . . except for Duncan and his loser friends." He paused for a moment. "And the Brotherhood."  
  
"Who are they?" Natalie asked.  
  
"Zere bad news." Kurt cut in.  
  
"Yeah, they totally hate us too." Said Bobby.  
  
"Except for Shakedown. He's got a thing for Miss Kitty over here." Scott grinned.  
  
"Scott, I like told you already! It's so over between us."  
  
"Sure it is."  
  
Natalie just laughed. "So where am I staying at?"  
  
"I'll like show you your room. Come on!"  
  
They walked upstairs. "Nice staircase. I wouldn't mind tryin' ta slide down this one day."  
  
"Just don't let Mr. Logan catch you."  
  
"Who's that?"  
  
"He was like in the room with us."  
  
"Oh that beastly-lookin' guy?"  
  
Kitty laughed." Yeah, him. But you think he's beastly? Just wait 'til you meet Mr. McCoy. He really is a beast."  
  
Natalie laughed back.  
  
"Okay, like, here's your room." She opened the door.  
  
"Wow." Natalie breathed in. Her eyes were a rainbow of sparkling color.  
  
"Wow, your eyes are so cool!" Kitty exclaimed.  
  
"Oh!" Natalie turned to face her, and her eyes gleamed yellow. "Thanks."  
  
She laughed. "I feel like such a princess with this room."  
  
"Yeah, we all do. Well, see ya in the morning, Nat. Make sure you get up around six. And hurry to breakfast, because Kurt will like so eat it all."  
  
Natalie laughed back. "Thanks Kitty. 'Night." She shut the door behind herself.  
  
Well this would take some getting used to. She smiled as her gaze fell upon a mirror. Her eyes glittered purple. Maybe being a mutant wasn't so bad. . . if she could ever get her powers under control. She was dog-tired of seeing helpless children being hunted. Talk about being emotionally scarred.  
  
She laughed to herself. Her life was so complicated. But didn't people always say that about life, mutant or not? Everyone always acts like they have it so hard on them, that they just can't deal with it all. Everything and everyone was against them.  
  
She sighed, then changed into a white, knee-length gown, and lay back on her bed. She sighed, and thought back to a book she had read in 9th grade. Pollyanna. That girl was a trip. She had a game she always played, what was it? Natalie closed her eyes in thought.  
  
"The glad game." She said aloud. She smiled, and said it again.  
  
The trick was, if she remembered correctly, was that no matter what happened, you had to find something good in every situation, and use it to keep happy. She should start playing it, starting now. What could she be happy about? She sighed, deep in thought, then smiled as she thought of the people at the institute. They were nice, really nice. But she knew that in her dreams tonight, they would probably be filled with these visions. She hoped there was a dream version somewhere deep inside of her of the boy on the train. She barely knew him, but she felt like she really had made a connection with him. She hoped to see him again someday. She had no idea how much of him she would see. 


	5. Perfect Day

I told the witch doctor I was in love with you, I told the Witch doctor, he told me what to do now he said. . . oh wait! People! Reviews! Yayness! Don't let my singing scare you away!  
  
* * *  
  
Eternity's Voice- Thanks! Yeah I know what you mean about the all-powerful wannabe X-Man thing. . . I hate it. Very much. I kinda made that mistake I think a little in my other fanfic. I have a bit of a writer's block with it right now, but I think I have a way to make it turn out a little better. damien455- Yeah, I can just picture my little Nat doing crazy flips and such. . . heh. We'll be staring slow. I'm trying to go for slightly normal, not another OC ravaging she-man like some people like to do. (No offense to anyone that has a ravaging she-man for an OC! It's just creepy, ya know. . . ;)  
  
Murderee- you have a friend with the same name? NO I CANNOT BE ORIGINAL! 'TWAS NOT MEANT TO BE!! Oh well. Does your friend's eyes change colors too? Now that would be freaky. . . ;)  
  
Dark Jaded Rose- Why thankyou! Do we perhaps have a Pyro fan here? It seems so! I like Pyro, but what can I say? I just happen to like Piotr. (Obviously! Heh) I'm not promising anything, but. . . I tend to play favorites a bit ;) (And don't count on her getting with Piotr, I happen to like Kiotr pairings very much!)  
  
Kerrigan- I like you. I think I'm in love with you! Just kidding! Heh you always have such nice things to say! I love nice reviewers!  
  
* * *  
  
On to Chapter 4!  
  
Chapter 4: Perfect Day  
  
* * *  
  
Ring. Ring.  
  
Natalie groaned and rolled over. Blackness and the blood red of her visions engulfed her tired body.  
  
Palm trees. Wind. So strong. Blowing. Waves crashed down on top of the child. She struggled to swim to the surface. Natalie recognized all too well the signs of a hurricane. She swam forth, grabbing a broken white board that looked like it belonged to a shed of some sort. She floated downstream, passing houses almost completely submerged in storm water. Lightning. Oh, the flashes of light were so horrific. . .  
  
She jumped up, frightened and shaking. She settled down, realizing where she was. She felt sad. She remembered the hurricane. So magnificent they were. Yes, oh yes, they could kill a person, damage property, ruin your life, but living as far back as she did, she could only catch glances of Mother Nature's wondrous fury. She was truly mesmerized by them when she was young.  
  
She swung her legs over the side of her bed. She walked to her dresser to begin brushing her medium-length brown and red hair. She smiled as she saw her blue eyes turn yellow. Being a mutant was kinda fun.  
  
She glanced to her open closet door and saw what she had laid out for herself the night before: a red sweatshirt and a pair of levis.  
  
"Yeah, right. I'm in New York, not the North Pole."  
  
She pulled down a khaki flared skirt and blue flip-flops and a matching sky blue shirt. She smiled as she saw the front of it. It was decorated with a small rainbow and the phrase 'We're taking it Back'. A gift from her friend Josh at her old home.  
  
She grabbed her backpack and headed downstairs.  
  
"Kurt! Like pass the mustard already!"  
  
"Dude, get outta the way!"  
  
"Ah said Ah'm not hungry ya yahoo!"  
  
"Take your mustard Katzchen!"  
  
"Can't we all just get along?"  
  
"No!"  
  
Natalie laughed to herself. Nice, big, happy family. It sounded like a movie she had just seen the week before. What was it? Oh yeah, 'Cheaper by the Dozen'. It had to suck to be the mother of twelve kids.  
  
"Morning ya'll."  
  
"Oh hey Nat! Like, want a piece of fruit or something?"  
  
"Actually, do we have grits?"  
  
Kitty wrinkled her nose. Rogue smiled. "Fahnally, someone with taste 'rund heah."  
  
"They're in the pantry." Scott smiled at her.  
  
"Thanks, One-eye."  
  
She started to reach into the cabinet, when the blue-haired boy suddenly appeared in front of her eyes in a puff of sulfur smoke.  
  
Natalie yelped and her eyes turned green.  
  
"Zorry, Natalie, but ve're late vor zkool!"  
  
"Oh dang it!"  
  
"Don't forget your sunglasses, rainbow girl."  
  
Natalie turned to face the beast-man, Logan. He held her sunglasses up, dangling from a metal claw. She hesitated, then snatched them away, pushing them up on her nose. Brown and red streaks fell around her face. "Le's go then!"  
  
The older mutants got into their appropriate cars, and younger ones jumped in the back. Rogue went to walk alone. Jamie stayed inside to get his ride to the middle school from the African goddess. Natalie started to follow Scott, then she caught him eying her, so she stopped.  
  
"Coming, Nat?" Scott stared at her expectantly.  
  
"Uh. . . no. It's a nice day for a walk."  
  
"Suit yourself. See you at school!" And he drove away in his amazingly sweet car.  
  
Natalie started the long walk to school.  
  
* * *  
  
Pietro Maximoff walked outside of the boarding house where he was staying. His father, whom everyone knew as Magneto, had asked him to stay there to keep an eye on the Brotherhood. They were nice enough, but severely undertrained, definitely unworthy of staying in Mystique's care. Blue bitch.  
  
He breathed in the morning air. "Finally I can get away from those idiots, atleast until school."  
  
He ran towards school at an amazing speed. Wind flew through his silvery hair. He smiled. Running was who he was. Anyone who said something otherwise could shove it, or take it up with Magneto. Either way, Pietro won out.  
  
He ran, swerved around the corner by Moondance diner, and fell into one of the prettiest girls he'd ever run into. He nearly choked, but managed to play it cool regardless.  
  
Natalie looked up from where she lay. A silver-haired boy lay on top of her. He quickly jumped off.  
  
"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to bump into you, but I was in a hurry and I-"  
  
"Relax speedy, it's cool."  
  
Pietro stared at her, wide-eyed.  
  
"Your accent."  
  
"And?"  
  
"Just move here?"  
  
"I'm with Xavier."  
  
Pietro gawked at her. "What the hell?"  
  
He turned and ran. She stared where he had been standing moments earlier. No one moved that fast. She narrowed her eyes.  
  
"I wonder if that was a Brotherhood guy."  
  
* * *  
  
School. Finally. Natalie sighed. "And here we go again."  
  
She walked inside to see Kitty and Kurt. "Like hey Natalie! Who do you have first?"  
  
She looked at her folded schedule. "Ummm. . . Mr. Ledford. Pre-calc."  
  
"Cool! Like you have it with me. Let's go!"  
  
They started to walk away, when Natalie caught sight of a boy. She stared at him, grinning. Kitty followed her gaze. Kurt just shook his head and walked away, mumbling something about 'Girl business'. "Think he's cute?"  
  
Natalie eyed the boy. Ripped jeans, black shirt, brown jacket with boots. . . and a mullet.  
  
She finally spoke. "THAT IS SO COOL!"  
  
"Like what it?"  
  
"That dude has a mullet!"  
  
"Oh, that's just Lance. He's trouble. You know, the Brotherhood?"  
  
"But he has a mullet!"  
  
The guy Lance must have heard 'mullet' because he turned to face Kitty and the new girl. He smiled and walked over.  
  
"Hey there, Pretty Kitty."  
  
"Uggh, like bite me, Lance."  
  
"With pleasure." He just grinned, then frowned as he noticed the new girl staring at him. "What?"  
  
"Dude you are so freaking cool! You have a mullet! I love it!"  
  
". . .Right. Thanks." He smiled uncomfortably. Kitty rolled her eyes. "Let's go."  
  
The two girls walked to class, leaving an uncomfortable Lance in the hallway.  
  
They sat down in class, near the front.  
  
"Do you like him or something, Nat?"  
  
"Shoot no! But mullets are awesome! Think like Joe Dirt. In my old town, if you had a mullet, you were cool."  
  
Kitty just laughed.  
  
"Okay, boys and girls! New student's in. Can you stand up please?"  
  
The man motioned for Natalie to stand up, so she did. She smiled nervously.  
  
"I-I'm Natalie Wayne.  
  
She looked out through her dark sunglasses. Kids just stared at her. Some stared at the ceiling. Half of them must have been asleep. Kitty looked at her expectantly, and- the silver haired boy? He grinned at her from the back of the classroom. She smiled nervously.  
  
"Where are you from Miss Wayne?"  
  
Natalie stared out with a blank expression. Darkness, illuminated by a dull red flame. It was hard to see through billowing smoke, but she was sure she saw an infant that lay wrapped in a blanket inside of a cradle that threatened to catch fire.  
  
"Miss Wayne?"  
  
"Oh, no, not another vision", Kitty thought to herself.  
  
"Miss WAYNE!"  
  
Natalie snapped to attention. A few snickers erupted from her classmates. She blushed, and her eyes turned a silvery-white beneath her shades.  
  
"Now, Miss Wayne, now that we have your full attention, where are you from?"  
  
"Oh, um, Baldwin, Florida."  
  
"That's nice! Class, isn't that nice?"  
  
No answer. No one even cared. Kitty smiled knowingly.  
  
"Well, I think that's nice. Any hobbies?"  
  
"If I think of any, Ah'll let ya know."  
  
"Oh, um, great. You may take a seat." He gestured to the empty desk beside Kitty.  
  
"Thank Heavens." Natalie breathed inwardly and took her seat. Kitty smiled encouragement to her.  
  
Natalie felt someone poke her in her shoulder. She turned around to look and saw the silver-haired boy. He grinned at her.  
  
"Sorry 'bout this morning, Natalie. Maybe we can start over. Pietro Maximoff."  
  
He stuck his hand out in greeting. She grinned. "So you are a Brotherhood boy."  
  
"Yeah, and you're an X-geek. But that's not stopping me. I just wanna make some polite conversation."  
  
Kitty watched the whole thing with disgust. "I'm sure that's exactly what you wanna make."  
  
"No one asked you, Pryde." Pietro narrowed his eyes.  
  
"Look, let's just get our work done, 'kay?"  
  
Natalie stared at the both of them. Like she needed to be in an argument on her first day.  
  
"No problem, rainbow girl." Natalie stiffened at that name. Pietro noticed this.  
  
"What's wrong? Something with your power?"  
  
"No."  
  
He snatched her sunglasses off her face to reveal green eyes. She just looked at him. He growled a little and put them back on her face.  
  
"Close but no cigar, flamer."  
  
He went back to work. Natalie grinned, and Kitty just laughed at the whole thing. Today would be so interesting- if she could keep her powers under control without creeping out too many people. But she'd better let the Professor know anyway.  
  
* * *  
  
And until next time ladies and gents, enjoy my random rants. . . not including my singing abilities, which cannot be enjoyed. All my love, Piotr's girl 


	6. American Dream

"Pyro! Where ya been hidin'? Ya had me worried sick homme!"  
  
St. John Allerdyce, known to his fellow Acolytes as Pyro, strode into the spacious room with a maniacal grin on his face that he was accustomed to. He pushed his hands into the loose pockets of his cargos. He grinned at the boy.  
  
"Really, now, mate?"  
  
"Ya kiddin' me? Hell be freezin' ove' b'fo I eva miss ya sorry ass."  
  
Pyro laughed at this. "Well nice ta see you too, Gambit."  
  
Gambit, who preferred his real name, Remy LeBeau, scowled at this, and turned around. The tall Russian that also stayed with the Acolytes, Piotr Rasputin, otherwise known as Colossus, was heard slamming things around behind the Australian. Pyro turned to see Piotr walking past him, carrying a heavy box.  
  
"Wha's that mate?"  
  
Piotr stared at him, putting the box down. "I don' know."  
  
"Right then. Guess I'll be unpacking."  
  
Pyro headed to the back of the warehouse where their current base was. He entered his makeshift room and threw his bag onto his cot. A slip of paper fell out. He picked it up, reading it.  
  
"Natalie Wayne, 389-2175."  
  
He grinned and put the paper into his pocket. "Another one for the record. But she was kinda pretty. . ."  
  
* * *  
  
"Pyro! Pyro! Come heah, homme! Ya gon' miss de show!"  
  
"I'm coming, mate!"  
  
Pyro ran into the large room where Remy and Piotr sat in front of the huge television screen. Pyro jumped over the back of the couch, landing in between the two older boys. They fixed their eyes on the screen.  
  
"And now it's time for the Andy Griffith Show! Starring. . . Andy Griffith!"  
  
"I love this show!" Colossus beamed.  
  
"You're serious, mate?" Pyro asked him.  
  
"Da, is best show I ever see."  
  
"Right den mes amis, le's watch de show, non?"  
  
"Acolytes!"  
  
The three jumped to attention. Magneto glared at them.  
  
Twitch. Twitch.  
  
"What have I told you about watching that cursed show?"  
  
"Is not real?" Colossus offered.  
  
"Yeah, that's not how America really is, Mr. Rasputin."  
  
"Oui, de American femmes be wild." Remy grinned.  
  
"That's only at Mardi Gras, mate."  
  
"Dat's not true!"  
  
"Acolytes!"  
  
They silenced themselves. Magneto looked them over skeptically. Pyro could have sworn that below where that helmet he wore revealed his face, he could see a vein throbbing in the old man's forehead. Maybe if they kept it up, old Mags would have a stroke.  
  
"Americans are cruel, like the rest of the world. Not just to their own kind, but to mutants, also. It's time you stop learning about the American dream from the television, and to go out and live it."  
  
"Why botha? Not like we're gonna go make friends with them or something." Pyro looked at Magneto questioningly.  
  
Magneto shot forward and grabbed the young red-headed boy around his throat, lifting him up off of the ground, and against the cool metal wall. Pyro gasped and wriggled in the old man's firm grasp.  
  
"Young Mr. Allerdyce, we don't want human eyes on us all the time. You need to learn to blend in. You all do", he said, motioning his hand around him. Pyro still was held stiffened against the wall.  
  
"Especially you, Russian. You can't even speak proper English." Piotr just stared at his feet.  
  
"Magneto, could ya, you know. . ."  
  
Pyro looked at the old man expectantly. Magneto sighed and dropped him. Pyro landed with a thud on his backside, and he rubbed his lower back tenderly.  
  
"You all will be starting school, tomorrow." Magneto looked around, smiling, to add more drama to the situation. "In Bayville."  
  
"Wha? Ya can' make us go to de-"  
  
"Actually, Gambit, I can. Your way or mine. And besides, what's the point of you imbeciles going to school if you can't keep an eye on my least favorite mutants?"  
  
Remy grinned while Pyro stood behind him questioningly, and Piotr stared at the wall behind Magneto.  
  
"Dat sounds like a plan ta me, homme."  
  
"Damn right you morons. Get out of my sight!"  
  
The Acolytes rushed to their makeshift rooms to pack for their short trip. Magneto rubbed his temples and sighed.  
  
"Colossus, destroy this warehouse before we leave, also. No evidence is to be left behind."  
  
Silence.  
  
"Acolytes, meet my out front in thirty minutes."  
  
* * *  
  
"So Natalie, how was your first day?"  
  
Professor Charles Xavier folded his hands in his lap and beamed at the young rainbow-eyed girl in front of him. She smiled back a little.  
  
"It was okay. But um, I had visions. Again. I can't make them stop, Professor."  
  
"Yes Natalie, I sensed you've been having them."  
  
He raised an eyebrow at her.  
  
"Perhaps I can help you to regulate them a bit?"  
  
She glanced around nervously, taking in the features of the British man's office. The guy must have had a million books in there. And he was super- smart. Go figure.  
  
"I'm willing to try."  
  
"Very good then. I want to show you something. Please come with me."  
  
He motioned her to follow, and so she did. Her eyes turned a deep purple hue, and she raised her eyebrows in question. They came upon a large room. The Professor looked into what Natalie assumed was some type of retinal scanner. A huge computerized voice bellowed from somewhere behind her.  
  
WELCOME PROFESSOR.  
  
And the metallic doors slid open. The Professor wheeled himself inside, and Natalie followed.  
  
The door shut behind them quietly, and Natalie grew even more nervous. "Professa, what is this place?"  
  
"This is the Cerebro Room. It's an enhanced computer that I can use to amplify my powers to find and keep track of other mutants."  
  
"Oh."  
  
The Professor smiled knowingly at her.  
  
"It seems that you could have a small form of telepathy, and I would like to see if you can use Cerebro to find people."  
  
"But so far, they've all been lost kids."  
  
"Ah yes, but you're young, and your powers are still developing. Though she may not admit it, Jean's mental powers were not always as strong as they are now. Yours can grow with time, also."  
  
Natalie swallowed, feeling a dry taste in her mouth. Her eyes slowly flickered green.  
  
"Ah feel like I got cotton in my mouth."  
  
"Don't worry, you'll do fine. Just concentrate."  
  
She reluctantly shut her eyes, and he placed a helmet on her. She suddenly felt the world sliding beneath her feet. It was all she could do to keep standing.  
  
"Professa? Professa!"  
  
No answer. She sighed and looked around to see children. So many.  
  
She looked closer. They were screaming. Crying. Reaching out, trying to grab her. She backed away. There were all kinds of children, Asian kids, Spanish kids, African children, the numbers were endless. And they all were crying out to her, wanting to be heard. Pleading. She couldn't hear them speak, but she saw the pain in their eyes. And then she saw nothing as darkness overswept her.  
  
* * *  
  
Beep. Beep. Beep.  
  
Natalie stirred and opened her eyes. Where was she? It looked like a hospital. She turned her head and saw some type of large blue creature staring at something on a clipboard.  
  
"I must be dreaming."  
  
"I'm afraid not. You gave us quite a scare Miss Wayne. I'm Dr. McCoy." He smiled at her.  
  
"So you're the beast Kitty was telling me about."  
  
". . .Yeah. And now, back to business. You should be fine, we'll let you go back to school tomorrow. But now we know why you have your visions so frequently. You can't hold them. You're not stable enough. You passed out after fifteen seconds on the Cerebro machine."  
  
"Wow. But those kids, they were. . . crying out to me. Pleading. It's like. . . like I was at a library, only I can't pick what book I want. It just gets thrown at me."  
  
She mentally kicked herself for using such lame terminology. Apparently the Professor's extravagant library had left an impression on her.  
  
"I see. Perhaps there are so many of these 'pleas' that your mind can't sort them out, or hang onto them for a long time, thus explaining also why they fade out."  
  
"I'd believe that one in a heartbeat." She glanced around. "No pun intended."  
  
He smiled at her. "You're free to go, but please be careful."  
  
"Yessir." She walked out to find her room. Sleep never sounded so good to her,  
  
* * *  
  
"Hey Pietro, did you see that new X-geek today?"  
  
Lance Alvers sauntered into the Brotherhood Boarding House. Toad hadn't made it home yet, and Blob was in the kitchen, where he happened to spend much of his free time. Wanda had just shut herself up in her room.  
  
"Yeah I saw her. What about it, Shakedown, you like her or something?"  
  
"No, she's weird."  
  
"Why do you say that?"  
  
"I think she's obsessed with my mullet."  
  
Pietro just stared at him. "Um. . . right. So she's weird because she likes your hair? Doesn't that make you really weird since it's your hair?"  
  
Lance sighed in frustration. "That's not the point!"  
  
"So what is your point?"  
  
"She's weird."  
  
"Yeah, that's been emphasized more than once today. Anything else? I gotta jet, got people to see. I actually have a social life."  
  
The room began to shake as Lance balled his fists. It quickly settled down.  
  
"That's about it."  
  
"Alright then."  
  
"Wait, do you like her?"  
  
Pietro just looked at him, then smirked. "Maybe. And what if I do?"  
  
"Just asking Maximoff, just asking."  
  
"Good, 'cause I was just gonna say, if you got a problem with it, you can deal with it or take it up with my father, either way is fine by me."  
  
Pietro ran out the door, not noticing Lance's middle finger stuck up in the air behind him.  
  
* * *  
  
Hola mes amis! Piotr's girl here. I decided to do my random rants last this time, because I can. Mwahaha  
  
Yeah, sharing time. . .  
  
* * *  
  
Eternity's Voice asks: What's with the mullet obsession?  
  
Piotr's Girl answers: This is random insanity. There's no point to it. Heh. . . if you were me, you'd understand. In my hometown, people obsess over mullets. They are such ridiculous haircuts that we just respect anyone who happens to get a mullet. (Besides, down here, if you have a mullet, you're automatically labeled as a hick. We like hicks here. ;)  
  
Kerrigan- Yeah, I'm the grand master of the Universe! Just kidding. But yeah, thanks for yet another joyous compliment. That makes my day.  
  
Eternity's Voice- heh, yeah. . . I noticed the nickname thing too. And yeah, I'm purposely doing a slow start on this, so I can set up a plot and get Natalie a spot and reputation with the X-kids. But don't worry, I'll everntually move on to bigger things. But I'm starting from scratch here ;)  
  
Damien455- Behold, for I dedicate this chapter to you! Enjoy my lackeys! *waves fingers around magically* cookies for all! Kudos! 


	7. Explosive Anger

Hey ya'll! Piotr's girl here. Sorry I took so long with the updating, but Winn-Dixie thinks he is my master. I serve Magneto! Actually no I don't, my contract was up last week. I'm self-employed now.  
  
And I would answer reviews, but FF.net is being communist and won't let me read them, so sorry guys! *sees a mob with flaming torches and pitchforks to right* What the heck?!  
  
* * *  
  
Chapter 6: Explosive Anger  
  
Beep. Beep.  
  
Natalie rolled over and slowly opened her eyes. Sunlight poured in through the windows that surrounded her bed. She reached over groggily and turned off her glowing alarm clock.  
  
"7 am, sheesh."  
  
She got up and slowly made her way to the closet. She dressed in faded low- riders, a white ribbed tank, and her favorite thick-soled brown boots. She desperately tried to pull her hair into a low ponytail, but her short piecey layers fell through her fingers, framing her softly curved face.  
  
"Natalie, hurry up! We're like gonna be so late!"  
  
Natalie rolled her eyes at the voice, and sighed in frustration at her hair. She grabbed her backpack and sunglasses then headed out the bedroom door.  
  
Kitty stood at the bottom of the stairs, hands on her hips, and a pout settled on her face. She watched as Natalie, with her sparkling purple eyes, hopped down the steps two at a time, laughing at the Valley Girl.  
  
"Take a chill-pill, Kitty, we won't be that late."  
  
Kitty just shook her head, her ponytail swinging back and forth. She couldn't help but laugh at the southern girl's antics.  
  
"Let's go!"  
  
She grabbed Natalie's arm and hurried her through the corridor that led to their spacious garage. Jean had the engine to her explorer running, and was starting to back up and leave. Jubilee and Amara sat inside. Scott was leaned lazily against his convertible. Alone. And Kitty rushed to him, dragging Natalie behind her.  
  
"Hey Scott! Like let us ride with you today!"  
  
"No prob, hop in ladies."  
  
Natalie jumped in on the passenger side and cried out "Shotgun!" She fell back against her seat, laughing.  
  
"Looks like Kit-Kat's got the back."  
  
Kitty just smirked and cocked her head to the side.  
  
"Like laugh while you still can, Bright-Eyes. We'll see who ends up in the backseat."  
  
She started to phase in when Scott whispered something to her. Intrigued, Kitty phased out again. Natalie looked on with interest.  
  
"Hey Kit, will you ride with Jean today? I need to talk to Natalie, it's important."  
  
"Well, okay, but you like so owe me Scott."  
  
"Thanks, kid."  
  
"No problem. . . kid."  
  
Kitty ran towards the SUV as fast as she could.  
  
"Jean, like wait up already!"  
  
The telepath slammed on the brakes, and Kitty phased in through the back. They drove away. Scott hopped into the driver's side and started the car.  
  
"Looks like it's just you and me, Nat."  
  
He smiled at her.  
  
"Looks lahk it."  
  
Her shoulders tensed, and he noticed this.  
  
"Everything okay, Nat?"  
  
"Yeah, great."  
  
* * *  
  
The silence was deafening. Natalie just stared out the window, sunglasses pushed up as far as they would go. Scott sighed at this.  
  
"Are you sure you're okay?"  
  
"Well, yeah."  
  
He tightened his grip on the steering wheel. Natalie noticed, and her eyes flashed brown beneath her shades.  
  
"If you ever want to talk about something", he continued, "I'm all ears for it."  
  
She smiled a little. "Thanks Scott."  
  
"Listen, Nat. . ."  
  
"Yeah?" She turned to face him.  
  
He reddened, then slapped his forehead. "I need gas."  
  
He pulled into the Hess Station about a block from the school. Natalie started to get out, when Scott grabbed her hand. Surprised she turned to face him. He leaned in, his face moving closer to hers.  
  
He stopped a few inches from hers. "Just remember I'm here for you."  
  
Natalie's eyed flickered orange, and her shoulders tensed. She slowly withdrew from his gaze, opening the door to the car.  
  
"That's all fine and dandy, Scott, but I'm really getting thirsty."  
  
She jumped out and practically ran to the jiffy store. Scott looked after her, feeling strangely defeated. But he didn't realize at the moment that he was being watched, too.  
  
* * *  
  
Pietro Maximoff was running towards his high school when Scott Summers' beautiful red convertible caught his eye. There was nothing more entertaining first thing in the morning like annoying the hell out of One- eye, so the speed demon waited until he saw the new girl X-geek walk inside, and then he ran to Scott's car.  
  
"Hey Summers, robbing cradles now?"  
  
Scott sighed in frustration at the familiar voice.  
  
"Don't you have something better to do, Maximoff?"  
  
Pietro smirked evilly at this remark.  
  
"Actually, no I don't. By the way, mind if I borrow your little girlfriend?"  
  
"What?"  
  
Scott looked at the Brotherhood boy in horror as he realized what he meant.  
  
* * *  
  
Natalie came walking out of the jiffy store, coffee in hand, when she felt herself caught up fiercely. She yelped and her coffee spilled to the ground. Wind blew through her hair, and her eyes widened and turned emerald green beneath her sunglasses. When all stopped, she found herself in Pietro's arms and staring directly at Scott, who couldn't have looked more pissed off.  
  
"Put her down!"  
  
Scott reached to lower his shades, and Pietro just laughed at him.  
  
"Go ahead and fire away Summers. You'll just injure a teammate and look weak to all those X-geeks you're shacked up with!"  
  
Scott growled at him. Natalie became frightened and weary of the situation. She began kicking and screaming at the silver-haired boy.  
  
"Put me down, put me down ya freakin' reject!"  
  
She grabbed his hair and starting pulling as hard as she could.  
  
"Ow, cut it out, bitch!"  
  
Pietro quickly grabbed her and tossed her aside on her butt. She jumped up, placing her hand against her backside, clearly pissed, but fearful to try anything.  
  
"Nat, get outta here!"  
  
She nodded fearfully and started to run towards the jiffy store. Scott slowly lowered his glasses, and red glowed over the top.  
  
"You're mine, daddy's boy."  
  
* * *  
  
Natalie jerked open the door and fled inside to the back. She ran to the unattended payphone and started to dial the Professor's number. It never occurred to her that the guy was psychic.  
  
Silence.  
  
"Hello, hello?"  
  
Not even a dial tone.  
  
She held up the ends of the frazzled corn in disgust. "Great, now what?"  
  
* * *  
  
"Eh, mate! Move outta the way already!"  
  
Remy LeBeau turned around from where he sat straddling his motorcycle, and mock-glared at the fiery Australian behind him.  
  
"Ey, mon ami, Remy be movin' when 'e feel like it. 'sides, wouldn' be goin' ta no school 'fit weren' for' de bossman makin' 'm."  
  
"Aye now, that bloke's makin' me and the Ruskie go too, rememba?"  
  
The Cajun narrowed his eyes beneath the sunglasses he wore. "Oui."  
  
Piotr didn't utter a word. The Cajun took off on his motorcycle, followed by St. John, then Piotr. Dirt flew up from behind where their wheels struck the ground, and a pair of glowing eyes watched them from the window overhead.  
  
* * *  
  
Natalie stayed in the back of the jiffy store, fearful of what might be happening outside. Her breathing came in short, forced gasps of air.  
  
"Calm down, Nat", she said to herself. "What could happen?"  
  
She mustered up the strength to go back outside and see if she could help. As she peered out the window, her feet slid out from beneath her. She screamed as she fell, and saw items beginning to fall off of the well- stocked shelves. People inside were screaming too- about an earthquake?!  
  
"I know we ain't on no faultline."  
  
She struggled to get up, and half ran, half stumbled to where Pietro and Scott were fighting, and- mullet boy? It looked like Lance was somehow causing the earthquake.  
  
Natalie fell forward, and caught herself on a cement block beside her. She had to try and help. Scott was shooting beams from his eyes, but Pietro was too fast for him. Lance balled his fists in the air and shook the ground beneath Scott, and the X-Man was thrown into the side of his cherished red car and knocked unconscious.  
  
"No!"  
  
* * *  
  
Remy and Piotr had left St. John behind on the street to Bayville High, so he rode alone. He took in the sites around him.  
  
"'es a lot different than Sydney," he said to himself.  
  
The ground beneath his motorcycle began to shake, and he gasped as the ground in front of him collapsed to form a sinkhole! He reacted quickly and jumped the ten-foot gap and landed safely on the other side.  
  
"What the hell's goin' on?"  
  
He saw a red beam shoot up in the sky from somewhere ahead of him.  
  
His eyes widened, and a maniacal grin settled on his face. "X-Men."  
  
* * *  
  
Natalie crawled doggedly toward where Lance was standing. His back was to her, his eyes rolled to the back of his head. He raised his fists higher in the air. The shaking worsened. Pietro was nowhere to be found. Scott lay half-buried beside his car. Natalie had to act fast. She looked around her, and crawled behind where the earth god stood.  
  
"A hubcap!"  
  
She glanced around to see if Pietro was nearby, and in fact, he wasn't in sight. She picked up the hubcap that lay beside her, and hurled it with all her might. It struck Lance in the base of his skull, and he fell, unconscious.  
  
"Score!"  
  
But she gasped, then watched in horror, because as Lance fell, the last seismic wave he had thrown toward Scott's car veered startlingly off course and struck the pumps. Scott still lay unconscious beside the car. He was in danger. She started to run to him, when Pietro appeared behind her. She felt a rush of wind, and then nothing as her head met a concrete block under the shelter that covered the pumps and Scott's car.  
  
She lay, half-conscious, as she watched electrical wires fall from the shelter and land beside the gas that leaked from the pumps. It touched off slowly, and she watched with pure horror as it slowly grew. It crept closer to Scott and her, and illuminated brightly. She sighed.  
  
"This is it, Scott. I'm sorry."  
  
* * *  
  
St. John rode faster than ever, and gasped with delight as he saw a huge explosion up ahead.  
  
"Gas pumps, mate! Must be my lucky day!"  
  
He stopped short of it, and started to control the raging fire. Its form changed slowly into a considerably large Trojan Horse, and then a haunting face. Then he smiled, as it turned into the saddened and teary-eyed face of the girl on the train. . .  
  
Then he heard screaming. It faded as pieces of metal began to fall from the shelter in front of him  
  
"Guess play-time's over."  
  
There was no one else to be found, so he manipulated the fire once again. It slowly faded and died out, much to the fire god's dismay. It left nothing but smoldering ashes and debris laying about.  
  
* * *  
  
"Hey Chuck, I'm going out for a ride."  
  
Logan began power-walking towards the garage. The Professor followed the Canadian in his wheelchair.  
  
"Logan, what are you up to?"  
  
The younger man growled and sniffed the air. "I smell trouble."  
  
* * *  
  
St. John looked around to try and see where the screams had come from. He swiveled his head when he heard heavy breathing come from beside him. No one was there. He started to take a step, when he saw broken sunglasses beside his foot. He bent down to pick them up, when he noticed a lock of light brown hair sticking out from beneath a pile of rubble. Hastily, he began picking up the rocks from it, then stood back in horror. What he saw startled him.  
  
A young girl lay buried there. Sixteen, maybe seventeen. Her simple white tank was covered with soot and dirt. She wore ripped jeans, and her face was covered with streaks and smudges of dirt. Her eyes were closed, and chunks of light-colored hair had fallen across her seemingly innocent face.  
  
He knelt beside her, and gently cradled her head and shoulders in his lap. He gingerly pushed the lock of hair back from her face.  
  
"You look awful familiar." He said quietly.  
  
He studied her, and watched as her chest rose and fell with her slow and heavy breathing.  
  
"Atleast you're still alive."  
  
He looked again, then gasped with surprise.  
  
"You're the sheila from the train! You need help!"  
  
He slowly and carefully scooped her up in his arms, and began to carry her to his motorcycle. He wasn't sure how he could get her to a hospital, but he was gonna try. He looked around and grimaced as he saw one of the X-Men, Cyclops was it? Half buried and seemingly burned beside a trashed car.  
  
"A hurt X-Man? Big whoop-dee freakin' doo."  
  
He then heard a familiar growl. He quickly but gently set the hurt girl against the brick wall as the Wolverine rode past him on his motorcycle, claws outstretched.  
  
The Acolyte ducked and ran away from the girl.  
  
"What the hell were you thinkin', bub?"  
  
Wolverine jumped off his motorcycle and leapt at the teen. Pyro jumped away from him.  
  
"If it's a fight you're looking for, mate, then it's a fight you've gotten!"  
  
"Try me, bub."  
  
"With pleasure."  
  
The Australian reached for his pocket to grab his lighter when he saw a brilliant flash of light and he felt himself hit a brick wall. He fell through, and held his hand to the back of his head, where red blood poured out in a steady flow. He looked in horror as the one called Cyclops tried to drag himself from underneath the rubble, one hand to his sunglasses. Wolverine walked briskly toward the fallen Acolyte, and jerked him up off of the ground by his shirt collar. He pinned him against a cement pole that had managed to stand its ground.  
  
"Still want to fight me?"  
  
The Canadian growled at the teen furiously. "Now where is the girl?"  
  
"Ah'm right here, Mr. Logan."  
  
Both men turned in shock as the southerner struggled to stand, putting her scraped hands to the wall for support.  
  
"Natalie!"  
  
Pyro started to run to her, but Logan shoved him back.  
  
"I knew you were in on this! I knew you were behind this whole thing! You're always wanting to start shit!" Scott was screaming from where he was trapped beside his car, which was burnt beyond recognision.  
  
Logan rolled his eyes at the young X-Man.  
  
"Mr. Logan, he-"  
  
She gasped, and her hands started to slide.  
  
"He, he didn't, he-"  
  
The Australian dodged the older man and ran forward to catch her, and gently put her down, cradling her head.  
  
Sshhhhhiiiinnnnnnkkkk.  
  
"I suggest you get outta here, bub, before I get really angry."  
  
Pyro ran from him, holding the back of his head, and rode away on his motorcycle.  
  
Logan shook his head, then bent over to pick Natalie up.  
  
"Why are you kids so much trouble?"  
  
**Chuck, I found Natalie.**  
  
**Good the. Bring back Scott, too.**  
  
**Do I have to?**  
  
**Logan, we don't leave ANYONE behind. You know that. Even if that person is fairly annoying.**  
  
Logan smiled at this, and started to walk toward where Scott lay. He carried Natalie over one shoulder. He stopped, then sniffed the air. Something smelled familiar to him. He growled.  
  
"Pietro and Alvers, those little bastards."  
  
* * *  
  
Woot! Chapter six is completed! And sorry for butchering up the languages, I promise I was trying not to!! 


	8. Trouble Brewing

Woot! New reviewers! *does a happy dance, resembles something like the funky chicken* Am I scaring anyone yet?  
  
MoonlightPhoenix3- Aye! I love you! Welcome to my humble abode! *bows* Actually I think I've read 'Paintings of you on my walls' I'm gonna have to go and look again now. Piotr is the coolest anyway! And yeah, he'll be along shortly, once again, but his usage remains a secret known only to me. . . and the evil mole people that live in the back of my closet.  
  
Kerrigan- Wheee! Why thankyou very very much! I love having constant reviewers!  
  
Chapter 7: Trouble Brewing  
  
* * *  
  
"Miss Grey, line one please."  
  
Jean Grey slowly turned around to face the office secretary Mrs. Brenson. She smiled, and flipped her long red hair behind her shoulder.  
  
"Who is it, Mrs. Bronson?"  
  
"Professor Xavier, darling. But remember what I have told you about personal phone calls?"  
  
"Why yes mam, and I'm so terribly sorry. Please forgive me?"  
  
Jean offered the older woman a wonderful smile (A/N: A smile so purely wonderful that one could simply puke when thine eyes were cast upon it. . . but this is my opinion, please don't shoot me.)  
  
She warmly took the phone from Mrs. Brenson and held the receiver to her ear.  
  
"Professor? What's wrong?"  
  
**You know, you could have just summoned me telepathically. Now Mrs. Brenson will just think I'm making social calls.**  
  
"I'm sorry Jean", the older British man said, "But I must have you released from school today. There was an accident this morning, and Scott and Natalie are both being kept in the med bay."  
  
"Oh my goodness."  
  
Jean grew pale, and her willowy features darkened. "I'll get there as soon as I can, Professor."  
  
"Thank you Jean. Now let me speak with Mrs. Brenson."  
  
Jean handed the phone to the other woman.  
  
"Mrs. Brenson's office, how may I help you?"  
  
Jean just stared at her feet, lost in thought, as tears slowly fell and cascaded quietly down her sullen face.  
  
* * *  
  
"Okay class, settle down."  
  
Mr. Ledford leaned out from behind his desk. He grinned.  
  
"Anyone catch the football game last night?"  
  
"Yeah dude it was great!"  
  
Rogue sunk down in her seat. Just some dumb jock and a football coach who had no business teaching. How much worse could life get?  
  
"Eh. . . me pardoner, monsieur, but is this. . ."  
  
Rogue jerked her head up. "Gambit!"  
  
Mr. Ledford got up from where he was sitting, clearly not understanding Rogue's seriousness of the situation.  
  
"Look Mud-Pie, this is Pre-Calculus. Not Gambit. I don't know where you freaks come up with this-"  
  
"Eh. . . monsieur, dis is de right room den, non?"  
  
Gambit held up a slip of paper. Mr. Ledford walked over and quickly examined it.  
  
"Yep, this is it. Got any math skills?"  
  
"Non monsieur, but Remy be willin' to try 'f la belle femme be willin' ta tutor m'."  
  
The Cajun grinned at the young goth as she turned away with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face.  
  
"I doubt you want her for a tutor, Mr. . ."  
  
He looked at the schedule. "LeBeau?"  
  
"Oui."  
  
"Yeah, okay then. Perhaps Miss Pryde will help you?"  
  
Kitty shifted uncomfortably in her seat as the Cajun man eyed her. He recognized her as the. . . what was the word? Phaser? Ghoster? Whatever. The girl could get out of any tight scrapes. She seemed nice enough, but she wasn't anything like a certain southern belle that had caught his demon eyes. . .  
  
"Mr. LeBeau, would you mind taking a seat?"  
  
"Non, monsieur."  
  
He eyed the geeky kid who occupied the desk next to Rogue.  
  
"What yo' name be, homme?"  
  
"M-me? Well, I-I'm, well-"  
  
"Oui?"  
  
The kid had serious problems. He tugged at his shirt collar, and sweated like he'd just run a marathon. He almost looked like one of those kids he saw back in New Orleans. The ones he'd see one time, in a bad situation, and then the next time the Cajun laid eyes on them, it was on the obituary pages in the paper. . .  
  
"Jim."  
  
"Jim what, monsieur?"  
  
"J-Jim Blystone."  
  
Damn, that kid was a wreck.  
  
"Monsieur, might Remy borrow your seat. . ." He leaned in and smirked at the kid. "Permanently?"  
  
Jim gulped and scooted out of reach, taking his book with him. Remy just grinned and sat in the desk, propping his feet up. He wiggled his eyebrows at Rogue, who just glared back. Mr. Ledford came back and slapped Remy's feet off of the desktop.  
  
"Look, Remy, your feet go on the floor here. I don't care what you'ns did down south, but here we try to act civilized."  
  
Remy stood up and glared at the man. He peered over the tops of his shades. Red and black glowed from beneath them.  
  
"I'd watch what ya say 'rund here, monsieur."  
  
"Oh, great." Rogue mumbled to no one in particular.  
  
* * *  
  
"Professor, professor! Where is he?"  
  
Jean ran into the British man's office, with a frightened and concerned look.  
  
"The med bay. Quickly, go and help Mr. McCoy. I'm sure your presence would be greatly appreciated."  
  
The man smiled at her, and she rushed to the med bay.  
  
* * *  
  
Running. Running so fast. The water. It was everywhere. The teen fell, and blood covered him. What had happened? Natalie was frightened. The boy reached into the pocket of his jeans with a scraped hand, and pulled out a small object, glancing around quickly. Fire came out of this object, and spread like the wildfires she had witnessed back home. She saw shadows about, dancing in the firelight, performing some sort of strange ritual. Who was this boy? She knew this way well. She had passed here before. . .  
  
"Scott!"  
  
Natalie blinked awake. She slowly moved her head, suddenly aware of the stabbing pain in her head and neck.  
  
"Damn whiplash", she muttered.  
  
"Oh Scott! Look at you! I should have been there."  
  
Natalie strained to look and listen, but all she could see was red. Red hair.  
  
"Oooohh, I think I'm gonna hurl."  
  
Jean narrowed her eyes.  
  
"Look I know you don't like me, you don't have to be so rude, Natalie."  
  
Natalie just groaned and rolled over, falling out of bed and onto the hard floor while Jean just watched.  
  
"Uggh. Go find a trashcan."  
  
Jean turned back to Scott, gently stroking his face.  
  
Natalie just sighed, and lay where she had fallen. She didn't feel like getting up. Suddenly to her surprise, Jean telepathically lifted her back onto the bed, and she saw her vomit float to the wastebasket beside Scott's bed. Natalie grimaced and forced her eyes closed. Then Mr. McCoy appeared.  
  
"Jean! I'm so pleased you're taking such good care of our patients!"  
  
"Oh no problem Mr. McCoy!" She offered a warm smile. (A/N: Again, in the words of Scrawler, it makes us want to hurl upon the nice carpets. Please don't shoot me.)  
  
Mr. McCoy just smiled back. "You may stay longer if you'd like."  
  
"Oh, thankyou! Anything for Scott! I just hope he gets better soon."  
  
"In time, my dear. He got hit pretty hard, but it's mostly just his neck. He'll be wearing a brace for a week or two. Natalie should be okay, too."  
  
He smiled at Natalie, who smiled back weakly. "Can I leave now?"  
  
"No, Natalie, spend the night here. You can go to school tomorrow."  
  
She sighed. "Right then. Can I see Mr. Logan?"  
  
"Of course, I'll get him for you. Jean, keep an eye on these two."  
  
"Sure thing, Mr. McCoy." Jean smiled an ever-so-fake smile at Natalie. The southerner just rolled over, back facing Jean.  
  
"I wouldn't act like that if I were you. You'll spend the rest of your life thinking you're in love with a donkey."  
  
Natalie looked back at her slowly. "You'd know all about that wouldn't you?"  
  
"Natalie?"  
  
She looked back to see Mr. Logan. "You wanted to see me, kid?"  
  
"It wasn't the red-head. Mullet boy and Pietro started it. I think. . . I think that boy was trying to save me. He was trying to help me."  
  
She thought for a moment.  
  
"I think I know him. . . the boy from the train! I knew it! But what's he doing here?"  
  
Logan just stared at her.  
  
". . . Right. Thanks. I have something to take care of."  
  
He walked out briskly. Jean just snorted.  
  
"Well, then! Pardon my saying, but as much as I don't like Badger, and as much as I really don't care. . ."  
  
She narrowed her eyes.  
  
"Those Brotherhood creeps better hope that there's an angel nearby by the time Logan gets finished with them."  
  
"That bad, huh?"  
  
"Worse. He's a nightmare."  
  
Natalie just grinned. "Pietro has no idea who he's dealing with."  
  
Jean heard what Natalie was thinking. "You won't do anything, chicken. What can you do?"  
  
Natalie just glared at her. "I'll think of something. But can you do me a favor and not read my mind?"  
  
"Try by not thinking so loud."  
  
Natalie snorted. "I'll just ask the Professor for help."  
  
Jean just rolled her eyes and turned around, back facing Natalie, who had also turned around.  
  
"One. . . whole. . . flipping. . . day. . . with. . . Satan. . . spawn. . . grrr. . ."  
  
* * *  
  
Pyro sat against the wall. He was safe for now. He flicked his lighter open and shut again. He had taken an old shirt and bound the back of his head where he had hit the wall earlier during his dual with the Wolverine. Why was it he always had to take crap from that guy?  
  
He thought back to Natalie. He sighed.  
  
"I hope she's okay."  
  
His face brightened. "I'll just go see for myself."  
  
* * *  
  
Wolverine rode down the empty streets toward the Brotherhood Boarding House. School had just let out prior to, and he smelled scumbags nearby. Suddenly, the flame kid crossed his path on another motorcycle. Hadn't he just scared the hell out of him? What was that kid doing?  
  
"Hey kid!"  
  
Pyro saw the man and fled. Wolverine followed him. They rode down the street, and Pyro turned into a side alley. The Canadian followed, and watched as Pyro stopped his bike at the end and jumped off.  
  
"Lookin' for another fight, mate?"  
  
"You just don't give up do you?"  
  
"Sure don't."  
  
"Look, I'm not here to fight."  
  
Logan shifted feet, and rubbed the back of his neck.  
  
"Sorry about earlier. I know that you were just trying to help her. It was the Brotherhood. She defended you, and you should feel happy that anyone would want to stick up for one of Magneto's lackeys."  
  
Pyro just rolled his eyes. "A little late now, don't you think?"  
  
Shhhhhiiiiiiinnnnnnnkkkkkkkk.  
  
"We can still tango if you'd like." A familiar gleam appeared in the older man's eyes. Pyro gulped.  
  
"I'll just leave now. G'day."  
  
* * *  
  
That night.  
  
* * *  
  
"Natalie! Natalie! You won't believe this!"  
  
Kitty burst into the medbay. Scott lay sleeping, and Jean had temporarily left for a dinner break, much to Natalie's relief.  
  
"Jean choked at the dinner table?"  
  
Kitty grinned. "I wish. Actually, Mr. Logan payed Lance and Pietro a visit after school. Lance is in the hospital. Pietro ran off somewhere, but he got beat up pretty good. Rogue said Wanda said that she'd never heard her brother scream so loud in her life."  
  
Natalie just laughed. "As long as Pietro's still alive."  
  
"Yeah I know right? We don't need a murder case on our hands, even if it is Pietro."  
  
"Actually, that's not what I meant."  
  
Natalie grinned evilly, then groaned and grabbed her stomach.  
  
"You okay?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm good."  
  
"So what did you mean?" Kitty looked at her questioningly.  
  
Natalie smiled at her. "Let's just that the speed demon had better watch himself."  
  
Kitty shook her head, grinning. "I hope you know what you're doing." 


	9. Sweet as Honey

Once upon a time, there was a slightly insane water goddess. . . she was known as River. She was hopelessly obsessed with the enemy. . . one of the Acolytes. . . whose name was Piotr. And when it was decided that River would not appear for a long while in her story of the young girl Natalie, and that the Russian would most likely be paired with Kitty. . . she got pissed and ran away to the local Dairy Queen to get hyped up on a vanilla cookie blizzard. . . And now I return with my hauntingly good story!  
  
* * *  
  
Eternity's Voice- Thanks a bunch! And yeah, ya pretty much got it right. . . hope the plot gets a little stupider/slightly funny in this chapter.  
  
MoonlightPhoenix3- In cahoots? I like that, it's so ingenius! Look for it to be used; I really, really like that word.  
  
Kerrigan- Thanks a bunch. You always have something nice to say about me! BOING!  
  
* * *  
  
And now I present Chapter 8: Sweet as Honey  
  
* * *  
  
"Kitty, please? Please I need yer help with this!"  
  
A high-pitched plead came from the southerner's lips as she crossed her arms in frustration. Kitty stood across from her, slightly grinning at the girl.  
  
"Natalie, we'll like get in so much trouble! And your neck is still hurting, isn't it?"  
  
"Shoot no, the whiplash is gone."  
  
"You were sick too though!"  
  
"I don't know. . . maybe it was a twennie-four hour bug or somethin'? I feel fine now."  
  
Kitty shrugged. "As long as I don't have to touch it."  
  
Natalie smiled at her. "That's what we have shovels for, darlin'. Do we have a ride?"  
  
Kitty snickered, about to respond, when Natalie cut her off. "You are not driving. I've heard stories about you."  
  
Kitty frowned. "I'm not that bad!"  
  
"Look, just hitch us a ride out to the nearest farm. . . How far away would that be?"  
  
Kitty narrowed her eyes. "About thirty minutes maybe?"  
  
Natalie smiled. "10 o'clock. Meet me out by the fountain. . . I'll bring the shovels. And don't get fancied up. We'll be getting dirty."  
  
Kitty looked disgusted. "I totally cannot believe you guys used to do this stuff in Florida! You guys are sick!"  
  
"Nah. . . just bored."  
  
* * *  
  
10 o'clock. . . the fountain  
  
* * *  
  
Natalie leaned lazily against the fountain. Running water spilled over her slightly tanned legs, chilling them. She sported flip-flops and a black hoodie, with her black soffees. Her hair hung wet around her face. She carried two shovels, and a large potato sack. Bright orange eyes glowed from beneath dark shades.  
  
"Natalie?" A voice whispered to her.  
  
She jerked up from where she had stood previously. Kitty emerged, gently wheeling out a motorcycle- followed by Rogue?!  
  
Both were dressed similarly to Natalie, and Rogue had her familiar scowl plastered to her pale face.  
  
"Rogue will get us there on Logan's bike. . . then we'll take care of the rest."  
  
"Got it Kit. Rogue, are you okay with chauffeuring us around?"  
  
"Not lahk ah got somethin' bettah ta do."  
  
Rogue slightly smiled.  
  
"Good, let's roll!"  
  
Rogue got on, bound in black knits, followed by Kitty, with Natalie on the back. They balanced the shovels between them, and started off. The bike was not meant to hold three girls, so they were rather slow and shaky. They traced the back roads leading out from Bayville until they reached a large field.  
  
Natalie pointed. "Cows! Stop here."  
  
They pulled over, and crept silently into the field. Rogue stayed at the fence to watch for passer-bys, while Kitty phased Natalie through the fence. They crawled through the grass until Kitty held her nose with disgust.  
  
Natalie sniffed, then held her nose and smiled. "Looks like we found a cow- pie. Kinda smells like Jean."  
  
Kitty laughed, then groaned as the smell overtook her. Rogue heard muffled laughter come from the field.  
  
"What the hell are they doin'?"  
  
Natalie and Kitty shoveled the cowpie into the bag, then walked forward to find many more. They worked gingerly and before long, the potato sack was filled with fresh dung.  
  
"Natalie, like this is so gross. I'll like never get this smell out."  
  
"You will, ah promise!" Natalie smiled at her. "Look it's midnight, we need to hurry!"  
  
They ran back to where Rogue lay with the motorcycle, and they sped back toward the inner city.  
  
* * *  
  
"Ah'm lettin' ya'll off here."  
  
Rogue stopped in front of Bayville High. The two girls hopped off with the bag balanced between them.  
  
"Go, go!" Natalie whispered to her. "If Logan asks about us. . . don't tell him where we are. . . please?"  
  
"Logan don't care 'bout that sugah, it's the bahk his lahfe revolves aroun'."  
  
She sped off, leaving the shovels. Kitty sighed. "Let's like finish this."  
  
She phased them inside. They quickly ran down the hall, to the junior hall, where Pietro's locker was located. Kitty phased the bag of cowpies into the locker, and then pulled out the bag. The smell was excruciatingly horrible.  
  
Natalie smiled. "We better get going. . . I don't wanna leave Rogue bah herself with Logan, even if it is Rogue."  
  
"I like thought you liked her."  
  
They ran down the hall, and Kitty phased them out. They continued to run.  
  
"Oh, ah do, but I don't think she's as tough as she wants people to think. Logan's scary, I don't want him to know we're in cahoots."  
  
"Heh. . . you said cahoots." Kitty grinned and they ran back toward the Institute. Thankfully, it wasn't more than a few blocks.  
  
(A/N: Thanks to MP3 for the word Cahoots, that was rather ingenius!)  
  
* * *  
  
Logan stirred, then sat up. He sniffed the air. Why did he smell cowpie? He growled, then headed around the hallway, trying to find the source of the smell. He stopped at one door, then sighed to himself, knocking, then slowly pushed the door open.  
  
"Stripes, where have you been?"  
  
"Does it really matta, Logan?"  
  
"Guess not." He growled, then stroked his chin. "'Night."  
  
Rogue let out a barely audible sigh of relief. Too bad Logan had enhanced senses. On the other hand, Logan went easier on Rogue than with other students, so he really didn't care in the first place. All he cared about was getting to sleep. He pushed the door back open, then closed it, letting himself collapse on his own bed. Hopefully pleasant dreams awaited him.  
  
Kitty and Natalie phased in through the side wall. Natalie went straight to her bathroom, whispering a quick "Goodnight Kit." Kitty left through the opposite wall and into her own room.  
  
Natalie showered off, spending extra time in the bathroom just calming her nerves. She started to get back in the shower, when her vision changed. Black and red. . .  
  
'Oh shit another vision. . .'  
  
The rushing water. The girl grasping for anything, anything to get away. The cord. The sparks. She watched it slowly fall, into the water, the screams filled her ears. . .  
  
Natalie snapped to attention and realized she was still wet from the shower. She toweled herself dry, then crawled under the covers, too tired and scared to even bother getting fully dressed. She would only get a few hours of sleep anyway, it was almost 1 am.  
  
* * *  
  
Beep. Beep.  
  
Natalie stirred, then looked down. "Oh, for heaven's sake!"  
  
She wrapped a sheet around herself, then headed to her closet, dressing in her green and white vans, denim Tommy Jeans, and her green 'Luck of the Irish' ribbed tank. She smiled at herself. Today would be a good day.  
  
She slipped downstairs quietly, putting on her shades, and grabbing her backpack at the end of the staircase. A few people were already downstairs, including Kitty. Natalie grinned to herself; Kitty was right. It was almost impossible to get the smell out, and she hadn't learned yet how hard it was. Kitty obviously found out the hard way, and sat with her arms crossed.  
  
"Don't worry Kit, no one even cares."  
  
"Like I do!"  
  
"Sorry." Natalie perked her face up. "Come to school with me early. . . please?"  
  
"Like, no way!"  
  
"Please Kitty? Please, please, please. . . please?!"  
  
"Okay! I'm coming!"  
  
They started to walk out. "By the way Nat, Scott doing any better?"  
  
"Who knows, ask Jean. . . they're inseperable."  
  
"I like totally take it that you think he's icksome?"  
  
"Worse. . . he's about a freakin' retard if I ever seen one."  
  
Kitty just grinned as they walk to school.  
  
* * *  
  
Natalie grinned when they reached the front steps of school. "Catch ya later Kit."  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"Getting' somethin'."  
  
"From who?"  
  
"The baseball team."  
  
"But like you don't play. . ." Kitty followed her to the weight room. Natalie went inside, and opened the lock on the ball locker, taking out a bat.  
  
"Like where did you get that key?"  
  
Natalie grinned. "Found it. People sure aren't very careful with their things 'rund here."  
  
She threw the keys on the desk.  
  
"Natalie, I don't like this."  
  
"Don't worry, it's not like I'm gonna kill someone. . ." She smiled. "I'll just lay up a hurtin' he'll never forget."  
  
* * *  
  
Pietro walked inside. His father kicked him out of the Acolyte Headquarters, thanks to that stupid Cajun. Always telling lies. So here he was, back at school. Late. But he didn't really care anyway.  
  
* * *  
  
St. John and Piotr walked inside of their new school.  
  
"Wow mate, so this is our school now."  
  
"Da."  
  
"Guess I'm not makin' a good impression, ey mate? Bein' late on me first day and all that."  
  
"Da, let's go to class now."  
  
The two boys walked down the long hall towards the main office for tardy slips, when St. John lifted his nose.  
  
"Uggh mate, that can't be normal." He stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets, and clicked the heel of his workboot against the tile floor. Piotr leaned against a locker.  
  
"Den we go check it out, da?"  
  
"Right mate."  
  
* * *  
  
Pietro couldn't get over the smell. He walked toward his locker, swearing and hoping it wasn't his. Alas, the fates were against him. He opened his locker, and cow poop fell onto his shoe. He swore, then tried to quickly brush some of it off of his books. Natalie was phased through the wall behind him. Kitty nodded to her, phasing back inside to the girl's bathroom.  
  
St. John and Piotr rounded the corner to see a young girl come behind Magneto's son. The idiot was completely unaware of it. The young woman let out a cry of fury and swung the bat with all her might, knocking Pietro off of his feet. He was spun around into the lockers behind him, knocked unconscious. She threw the bat on top of him. Piotr frowned, and St. John gaped at the girl in shock.  
  
"Oh my god I can't believe I just did that. . ." Natalie thought to herself. "Oh well, that faggot deserved it anyway."  
  
St. John looked back at Piotr. "Go on mate, I got it." Piotr walked away and the Australian ran towards the girl.  
  
He stopped behind her. "Nice swing, sheila. Couldn't have done better myself."  
  
Natalie gasped and looked behind her. "St. John! You are the one that saved me!"  
  
"I wouldn't say all that now. . ." He grinned.  
  
A middle-aged man walked up behind the two, placing one hand on each of their shoulders.  
  
"Mutants." He spat. "Such problems. Report to my office."  
  
"But Mr. Kelly-"  
  
"Principal Kelly, young lady."  
  
"Principal Kelly, I-"  
  
"She didn't do it, mate, I did." St. John stepped forward, then looked back at her.  
  
"What are you doing?!" She mouthed to him.  
  
"I can handle trouble better than you can, go now."  
  
She nodded sadly and walked away. She really didn't know what she's gotten into. But she was determined to make things right- and she should start by apologizing to the fire god and claiming responsibility. She ran back to Principal Kelly. He heard footsteps and spun around, glaring angrily at her.  
  
"I'm the one that did it. . . not him."  
  
"Sticking up for him, huh?" He pointed to him. "Detention for you for a week including Saturday Mr. Allerdyce, and as for you. . ."  
  
He eyed her suspiciously.  
  
"I guess a week's detention for you too. . . including Saturday." He sighed. "But I'm calling the Professor. And you're going home early."  
  
She rolled her eyes and followed the two men to the office.  
  
* * *  
  
Natalie walked outside, glancing inside through the office window. St. John smiled at her. She smiled back. Pietro was in the nurse's office, still unconscious. Life was good. Mr. Logan walked out briskly behind her. She frowned. Life sucked.  
  
"Wayne", he said as he opened the driver's side door, "You know you're grounded until detention is over this week."  
  
"Yessa."  
  
"And you'll be washing the teams' uniforms?"  
  
"Yessa."  
  
"And you've got ten danger room sessions lined up for this week, since you can't handle a Brotherhood boy face to face?"  
  
She sighed. "Yessa."  
  
"Okay then good." He smiled at her. "By the way, nice swing." 


	10. Crime Don't Pay

**Okay people, sorry I haven't written in a while. . . school sucks. And what else is new?  
  
Anyways, on with the story.**  
  
Natalie skulked down the hallway, clad in soffees and a tank. She carried flipflops in her other hand. Her face was partly covered by her shades. Logan was leaned against the wall at the end of the hallway, watching her.  
  
"Alright Rainbow girl, follow me."  
  
Natalie looked on curiously as she followed him. She stared at the Wolverine's back. He was wearing his uniform, instead of the simple jeans and muscle shirt he usually wore. The muscles in his back quivered with every stride he took. She wondered how he could look that healthy at his age. . . then mentally kicked herself for even thinking that.  
  
"Ew, he's. . . old." She thought to herself.  
  
_Actually yeah that is sick. And nice job on Pietro_.  
  
Natalie rolled her eyes as she walked into the danger room. Logan held the door open for her to pass through. She flung her shoes into the corner.  
  
_Thanks for your support._  
  
_Whatever._  
  
"Okay, Wayne. Listen up."  
  
Logan clapped his hands together. Like he was actually enjoying the awaiting torturous exercises. Natalie sighed and stood at attention.  
  
"You don't need to learn to fight. That's not what you're here for. You're here to learn about how to manage your powers."  
  
Natalie just stared at him, barely breathing. "And I think you've been spending too much time with the Professor."  
  
Logan rolled his eyes. "You're going to learn the art of defense. If they can't touch you, they can't beat you. Even half-pint can tell you that."  
  
Natalie smiled. "So can we start already?"  
  
** "Damn I'm tired!"**  
  
Natalie limped down the hall to her room. She heard her phone ringing, so  
she limped faster. Damn phone.  
  
She felt her way along the wall to her room, and collapsed on her bed. It  
rang twice. Three times. She groaned and picked it up. "Hello?"  
  
"Natalie, it's St. John."  
  
She jerked upright. "How the hell did you get my number?"  
  
"I found it on your cell, love."  
  
"But when did you get my cell. You freakin' liar!"  
  
"Chill out love, it's no big deal, I just sneaked a peek in the office. I  
can't live with the Cajun and not pick up on a few of that bloke's  
tricks."  
  
Natalie tried hard to suppress a gentle smile, but it came through  
anyway. "So what's up?"  
  
"Not much, love, just wondering if you wanted to have dinner with me  
tonight."  
  
"Dude, I can't! I'm grounded."  
  
"Oy, that sucks, love." Silence hung over them.  
  
"So um, I guess I'll see you at school?"  
  
"Yeah, sheila, g'nite."  
  
"Nite."  
  
Natalie hung up the phone, saddened. She leaned against a bedpost, and  
drew her knees up to her chin. She stared at the wall for a long time,  
deep in thought.  
  
** Natalie jerked awake. "Oh. . . what time is it?"**  
  
She looked over. 8 o'clock. She rolled her eyes, flickering orange with  
annoyance.  
  
"Might as well get a shower."  
  
She undressed quickly, and grabbing her royal blue terrycloth robe,  
headed for her bathroom. Kitty was downstairs doing homework, so Natalie  
flipped on the radio, putting in her Punisher cd. She smiled as Seether's  
'Broken' filled her ears.  
  
"Now that's music."  
  
She turned on the water. She stuck her slender hand under the faucet,  
letting the warm water rush over her hand. She smiled. Perfect. And she  
stepped in, sighing.  
  
"Finally, I can get some peace around her. Damn I hate shinsplints!"  
  
Twenty minutes later, Natalie stepped out of the shower, quickly drying  
off. Her layered hair hung wet around her flushed face. Her eyes sparkled  
sapphire blue. Normal. She looked in the mirror to see them, and smiled  
brightly. Then they flickered purple, then dark blue as sadness overtook  
her.  
  
"I wonder how mama's doing."  
  
She slipped her robe over her shoulders, and tied it at the waist. It  
didn't exactly cover her well, but it covered enough. She stepped out,  
looking to see if Kitty was nearby. No sign of her. So she rummaged  
through her dresser drawer and pulled out her white gown, bra, and  
panties. She had just slipped on her undergarments when she heard a faint  
tapping at her window.  
  
She gasped, throwing her gown over her head, and running to the balcony.  
Just as she opened the door, another rock flew up from the ground and hit  
her in the forehead.  
  
"Ay-yow!" She held her hand to her face.  
  
"Show yourself!"  
  
St. John appeared from the shadows.  
  
"Sorry luv. . . didn't see ya there."  
  
She smiled as she massaged her forehead. "Pissant!"  
  
"Oy, ya got me."  
  
He held his hands to his heart dramatically. "Now no need for name  
calling. I come in peace. Got my white flag and everything."  
  
Natalie smiled from where she stood facing down at him.  
  
"I don't see it."  
  
"Hold on."  
  
He disappeared. Natalie glanced behind her to see Kitty walking out of  
their shared room. The girl turned around, waving at her, and walked out  
again.  
  
"And she had no idea! For shame!" She laughed. "Now where did that Aussie  
go. . ."  
  
She choked on her words. St. John had come back, holding up a pair of  
white briefs.  
  
"St. John!" She gasped, laughing. "Those aren't yours, are they?"  
  
"What? No love! I found these in Remy's room."  
  
Natalie just laughed harder. "Okay Aussie, so what are your other two  
wishes?"  
  
St. John just stood there for a moment, then grinned. "I get it now. You  
had me for a moment Sheila."  
  
Natalie smiled again.  
  
"You look like an angel from down here." He called out.  
  
"Don't ya know I am one?" Natalie laughed. "But don't be so loud, yer  
gonna get caught! And I won't save ya either."  
  
"Then two things luv."  
  
"Ya?"  
  
"One, what are ya doing tomorrow night?"  
  
"I-"  
  
_Natalie, it's alright. You may accompany him_  
  
_But I-_  
  
_We will discuss this later on_  
  
_Thankyou Professor_  
  
"Nothing St. John. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Care to let me take you on a date?"  
  
"Of course I'll let you!" She smiled down upon the Aussie. He smiled  
back.  
  
"Prepare to be swept off your feet girl." He laughed.  
  
Natalie just laughed at him, her purple eyes dancing in the moonlight.  
Her partially dry hair swung around her moonlit face.  
  
"We'll see."  
  
"Why, you don't believe me love?"  
  
"I do."  
  
"Then why do you say that?"  
  
"Well. . ." She smiled. "That's a third date type of thing."  
  
**Okay reviewer's time!  
  
Kerrigan- Heh. . . yeah. You start to realize over time that Natalie does lots of stupid things. But it's all in good fun.  
  
MP3- What else do Florida crackers do? Eat them? bleh I hope not. We don't anyway. . . they make good fuel. LOL!!! Here is your wonderful update!!! Let me know if you have any more spiffy words to use. . . hey I said spiffy! Woohoo!**


	11. Wish Upon a Star

"Aruba, Jamaica, ooh I wanna take ya to Bermuda! Bahama! Come on pretty mama! Key Largo, Montego! Baby why don't we go! Ooh I wanna take you down to Kokomo! We'll get there fast and then we'll take it slow. . . That's where we wanna go, way down in Koko- Kurt cut it out! Owwww!"  
  
Kitty recovered from the blow she received from Kurt and pushed him onto the kitchen table. Kurt laughed and teleported up to the chandelier.  
  
"Come and make me Katzchen!" He sang down to her. Kitty just placed her hands on her hips.  
  
"I'm too tired to bother right now, Fuzzy."  
  
Kitty began walking to her room. Kurt jumped down and ran up behind her.  
  
"Keetty vhat is wrong? You're never tired!"  
  
"I am now, Kurt. . . Pre-Calc's finally getting to me. I'm going to bed, see ya in the morning."  
  
"Goodnight Keetty."  
  
Kitty nodded and trudged to the room she shared with Natalie. Upon entering, she saw Natalie sitting at the vanity they shared, running a brush through her hair and humming softly. Natalie smiled faintly to herself, and Kitty just grinned with both amusement and curiousity.  
  
"Nat, what's with you?"  
  
"Oh. . ." She swung her self around to face the Valley girl. "Just a date tomorrow night."  
  
Kitty's eyes widened in shock. "With who?!"  
  
"St. John Allerdyce." She sang merrily.  
  
"Wait. . . the Acolyte!"  
  
"Yeah. . . I guess so!" Natalie laughed.  
  
Kitty folded her arms, grinning yet desperately trying to be serious. "And the Prof don't care?"  
  
"He said he didn't."  
  
"Wow, not a problem at all. . ." Kitty mused. Her eyes flashed with excitement. "Oh but you're so lucky!"  
  
Kitty erupted with giggles, and Natalie joined in.  
  
"You better give me all the details! Oh just wait until the others find out!"  
  
Natalie just grinned. "What would Scott say?"  
  
Kitty just grinned, and tried to impersonate him. "I don't like the idea at all Miss Wayne, he could be using you as a spy! I do think that Magneto is behind this, because in case you've forgotten, whenever something goes wrong, including why you are hideously constipated and can't pee without having the urge to cry for Uncle Bob, Magneto is always behind it!"  
  
Natalie just laughed, doubling over and clutching her stomach, and falling off the bed.  
  
"Ow!" She rubbed her bottom, and her eyes flashed a rainbow of colors. "You are such a hazard to my health Kit! What am I gonna do with you?!"  
  
"Get me an Acolyte friend!"  
  
Both laughed even harder, air whistling in and out of their tired lungs.  
  
"I suppose we should get to sleep." Natalie stated.  
  
"Yeah, 'nite Nat."  
  
"'Nite, Kit."  
  
They each rolled over in their beds, Kitty facing the wall wistfully.  
  
"Why can't I. . . find. . . someone who. . . makes me happy. . . like what she has. . ."  
  
Kitty breathed quietly to herself.  
  
_I don't want anyone. If anyone, I want it to be the man I spend the rest of my life with. No more Lance, no more sorrow. I just hope there is such a person._  
  
Kitty rolled over and stared out of the bedroom window. Moonlight poured over her saddened face, and clear stars lit up the sky. One in particular caught her eye, and she stared at it in wonder.  
  
"My star. . . there's one thing I can always depend on to make me forget everything. . . my star."  
  
**Little did Kitty know, another young girl stared up at that same star in sadness and wonder.** It was Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch, or the Gothic Terror, as her brother Pietro often referred to her. Wanda cried softly to herself, knowing fullwell that no one could hear her whimpers. It was pointless to put on an act any longer. Yeah, she was pissed at her father and her brother. She wished they would just die, a slow, torturous, and painful death. But it wouldn't happen. She wasn't that lucky. And her powers were useless. She was cuffed, her hands unable to move. She didn't know what they were made of, but it was somehow able to negate her powers. Life sucked. She contemplated suicide, but it wouldn't work right now. She sighed.  
  
"Why me?" She screamed out.  
  
"Why do I have to be the one in a screwed up family? Why is it no one wants me?!"  
  
She heaved in and out, crying to herself. No one would find her. She knew it. Her father would make sure of that.  
  
She thought back to recent events, still unclear of exactly what had happened.  
  
**FLASHBACK  
**  
"Daddy, no help me! Daddy, no! Help me!"  
  
_They dragged me away, kicking and screaming. Daddy and Pietro just stood there, watching me. It was really rainy out, and I was cold. But I didn't care. I just wanted to go home to my bed, and play. I didn't know these strange men dragging me to my new home. It looked really spooky, and I didn't like it._  
  
"Pietro, help me! Daddy!!"  
  
_I watched my family slowly get into our car and drive away. They left me. I stopped fighting and let myself be carried into the building. I'd been abandoned like one of those puppies I'd saw on a street corner last week. No one was coming back for me. I was only eight._  
  
**"Pietro!"**  
  
I jerked awake, screaming for my brother. He zipped into my room.  
  
"Wanda, what's wrong? Wanda. . ."  
  
_I stared at him, strangely. I could feel anger rising in me, my blood boiling to the point where I thought I would kill my own flesh and blood._  
  
"Wanda?" He put a hand on my shoulder. I tensed. "Talk to me sis."  
  
"I- I had a dream. About you and Dad."  
  
Pietro's face paled when I said that. I felt him shaking, his voice wavering. "What happened?"  
  
"I was sent away. To a creepy old castle. You and me- we were so young. I was so scared, and you two left me."  
  
"Wanda just forget about it- it was just a nightmare."  
  
"But I can't! It felt too real!"  
  
"Wanda, forget about it now. And don't say anything to Dad, and worry him okay? Now go back to sleep."  
  
_I held my hand to my face, shaking. He came over and gave me a hug. He was shaking too. And I felt. . . horribly, horribly angry._  
  
'Goodnight, sister."  
  
"Night, Pietro."  
  
_I went back to sleep._  
  
**END FLASHBACK  
**  
"And that's where it started. . ." Wanda said to no one in particular. "But it got so much worse. . ."  
  
**FLASHBACK**  
  
_I left school, walking home, alone. It had been two days since my last nightmare. I kept having the same dream, every night, each time more intense. Pietro would come in and comfort me, but I felt so angry every time I thought of my brother, and my father, especially. What was wrong with me?_  
  
"Lonely, sheila?"  
  
_I turned. It was just Pyro. I was happy to see him, but I had the urge to strangle him for some reason. He was leaned lazily against a streetlight. I had to admit that for one of my father's lackeys, he did look good._  
  
"What do you want, Pyro?"  
  
"Just to give you a little something."  
  
"From my father, perhaps?"  
  
"Perhaps, sheila."  
  
_I felt intensely angry. I balled my hands into fists, and the streetlight, glowed blue with the use of my power. Pyro jumped away from it, walking toward me._  
  
"No need to be angry, sheila. I come in peace."  
  
"What is so important that you had to find me now?!"  
  
"This." He held up a zippo lighter. It looked new. He smiled proudly.  
  
"A new lighter? My god, you are a maniac." I shook my head sadly. "But I need to be going."  
  
"But sheila! The texture, the ma-ma-magnificence of it! It's so perfect! Just look at it!"  
  
_I sighed and turned my head to study it. I had to admit, it was a nice lighter. Gold plated, with his initials etched in red._  
  
"Fire. . ." He breathed.  
  
_He flicked it open, but fire wasn't what came out. White gas poured out, and I tried to focus.  
_  
"Pyro, you ass-"  
  
**END FLASHBACK**  
  
And here she was. "I really am an idiot. Why did I fall for that?"  
  
She smiled wickedly. "Now I know remember why I hate my father's friends. If only Pyro didn't work for him. . ."  
  
She sighed forcedly. Like the asshole would ever change. And even if he did, why would he date a psychotic bitch, especially one who was the daughter of his ruthless ex-employer?  
  
"I really am psychotic."  
  
She continued to watch her star, twinkling merrily.  
  
"I wish I could forget."  
  
**SHOUTOUTS! YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO READ THEM!  
  
Kerrigan- Again, thanks!  
  
MP3- Yeah spiffy is awesome! And ya'll go to the mall? Heh. . . we love Wal- Mart!**


	12. Condemned

**The Next Day  
**  
"Natalie, will ya get up already?"  
  
Cold water met the young girl's face, and she jumped awake screaming, and her eyes flashed bright green. Rogue just stepped aside, smiling.  
  
"Thanks, Rogue." Natalie stated calmly as she wiped her face off with her sleeve.  
  
"Not a problem, sugah."  
  
"Wait a minute. . . what time is it?"  
  
"Time fo' ya to get crackin' if ya still plan on goin' off with that Pyro man."  
  
Natalie gasped as she read 5:30 on her clock. "Oh no! He'll be here in an hour!"  
  
Natalie turned to run into the bathroom. She slid on the rug, and with both feet flying up, landed on her tender back.  
  
"Ah. . . I knew I'd do that one day."  
  
Natalie picked herself up and shut the bathroom door. Rogue tried to suppress a laugh, but failed. She covered her small smile with a gloved hand as she watched Natalie come out of the bathroom.  
  
"That was quick."  
  
"Heh..." Natalie laughed sheepishly. "I forgot my clothes."  
  
** "Come on girl."**  
  
St. John grabbed Wanda and pulled her to her feet. She let herself be  
taken to her father. Why Pyro? Why not the Russian? Her father knew of  
her obsession with the fire god, mostly due to Pietro. And he knew that  
Wanda wouldn't fight St. John because of that.  
  
"Ya too easy sheila. Why don't ya fight back?"  
  
Wanda just ignored him.  
  
"Oh come on now sheila! Don't be like this! I thought we had an  
understanding. . ."  
  
Wanda glared at him. He just grinned maniacally.  
  
"Don' worry miss. Ol' Magsey's just gonna have your memories changed  
again, no big deal."  
  
He laughed. "Maybe I'll take ya out sometime when this is ovah with."  
  
Wanda hung her head. It was hopeless.  
  
** "Natalie come on! I like really gotta pee!" Kitty whined.  
**  
"Don't rush me! This is crucial!"  
  
"HOW is putting on mascara crucial?! It's not like you actually show your  
eyes, anyway!"  
  
Natalie appeared shortly from the bathroom, wearing a white ribbed tank,  
a pleated khaki and red plaid skirt, and brown Roxy flipflops. Her hair  
was flipped out a little, and her eyes were darkly covered with  
sunglasses.  
  
"Aw Nat!"  
  
Natalie smiled and lowered her face. "You like?"  
  
Kitty didn't seem to hear her. "This is what you call crucial Nat!"  
  
Kitty frowned and jumped, phasing through Natalie, and slamming the door  
behind her.  
  
"She's so funny." Natalie laughed. "Now where is that Aussie. . ."  
  
**"Wanda! So good to see you, my child."**  
  
"Save it." Wanda's eyes flashed darkly, and she gritted her teeth at her father.  
  
Magneto scowled at his only daughter and turned away. Pietro merely snickered at the confrontation. The silver-haired speed demon was truly regretful that Wanda had to endure this treatment, but if it kept the Maximoffs alive. . .  
  
"Eh. . . Magneto? Boss? Might I be excused, sir, I have something to take care of. . ."  
  
Magneto turned to glare at the Australian man.  
  
"What is it boy?"  
  
"My date, sir."  
  
Magneto shook his head slowly, up and down. "Ah, yes, your. . . date."  
  
Wanda stared at the two men, mouth agape. Her violet eyes flashed in anger. The player!  
  
"Go then."  
  
"Thankyou sir."  
  
Magneto turned to face Mastermind as Pyro left the room. Gambit leaned into the corner, his trademark smug smirk embedded into his handsome face, and the somber Russian, who rarely uttered a sound, stood next to him, arms crossed, looking especially somber today.  
  
"Jason, come forth, and do your job. Quickly. We have other things to take care of."  
  
Mastermind stepped lightly over to where Wanda was cuffed into a chair, presumably made of the same metal that had previously kept her from escaping her prison.  
  
"Get away from me. . ." Wanda began to struggle with her bonds.  
  
"It's okay, little one. All good things will come in time. . ."  
  
"No. . ."  
  
"Shh. . . relax child. . ." Jason began waving his hand in front of the young goth's face, and watched her gaze helplessly at him.  
  
"No. . . not again. . . my head. . ."  
  
**"6:35. . . I won't freak out, it's no big. . ."**  
  
Natalie swallowed, trying to control herself.  
  
**"OH WHERE THE FRUIT IS THAT DAMNED AUSSIE?!"**  
  
_Keep it down!_  
  
_Oh, sorry Jean. Didn't mean to interrupt whatever it is you're doing. . . what are you doing?  
_  
_None of your business.  
  
It wouldn't be Scott by any chance would it?_ Natalie though darkly.  
  
_No! Do I look like a whore to you?_  
  
_Need I answer that oh great red-haired witch?_  
  
_I see your point, oh pesky southern bitch. By the way, don't get yourself killed by that pyromaniac. Trust me, I won't be there to pick up the mess._  
  
_Glad to know you're here for me._  
  
_Isn't everyone?_  
  
_Not necessarily._  
  
_Shut up._  
  
_Bite me._  
  
**Ding!**  
  
Natalie whipped her head around, ignoring Jean's response. "He's here!"  
  
She opened the door, smiling. No Aussie. Disappointed, she let the door hang open as she turned around mournfully.  
  
"What was that noise?"  
  
"Oh, sorry dudette, I just had to. . . you know. . . it was so easy. . ."  
  
Bobby Drake, aka Iceman, help up Kitty's laptop as he appeared from the kitchen. He clicked the play button on it, and the mansion's doorbell could be heard again. Kitty laughed, sticking her head out of the kitchen door.  
  
"That is so not funny Ice cube. . ."  
  
Natalie turned around to shut the door when she saw St. John staring down at her, smiling, and holding a red rose.  
  
"Oh wow. . ." She breathed.  
  
She stared him over. Baggy blue jeans, black workman's boots, white tee shirt that discreetly showed off his ripped muscles, and a black leather jacket draped over his left arm. So stunning. . .  
  
She snapped back to reality and slapped him arm.  
  
"How long have you been there?"  
  
"Only a minute, love."  
  
"Why were you late?"  
  
"Mags wouldn't let me go."  
  
"So I see. Care to come in?"  
  
Natalie motioned at the door.  
  
"Actually, if it's all the same to you, I'd rather not. . ."  
  
"Hey Bub, come here."  
  
Natalie groaned. Leave it to the beaver with adamantium claws and a downright bitchy attitude. May God be with the Aussie.  
  
St. John walked slowly inside. Natalie followed him, and Bobby and Kitty stared from the kitchen.  
  
Logan grabbed St. John roughly and whispered to him. The Aussie shook with fear. What was said was completely inaudible, but somehow Natalie didn't think she wanted to know anyway.  
  
"Come on love, let's go."  
  
He grabbed Natalie's hand and walked out.  
  
"Have her home by eleven or I'll skin you alive, son!"  
  
**Wanda twisted in her chair, new memories and images being imbedded in her skull.**  
  
"Stop it! Stop it!"  
  
"Hold still, my child."  
  
She saw herself being dragged away to the nightmarish castle, the one from her dream. It slowly transformed into another memory, of her former self and her father reading poetry together. But this time, it wouldn't work. All the anger, the digging, and the frustration, had finally come together to free her of the dream world she lived in.  
  
**"NEVERMORE! NEVERMORE!"** She quoted, screaming.  
  
Blue hex bolts flowed through her body, illuminating her. Her chair erupted, cracking and breaking apart. She broke free, and hexing the others, threw them into the wall. They'd never get her. . . or so she thought.  
  
She turned tail and ran. She was nearly to the stairs when it happened. A metal orb was thrust at her by a barely conscious Magneto, knocking her out of the window.  
  
"WANDA!" Magneto cried out after her before losing consciousness.  
  
The Scarlet Witch screamed as she fell into icy winter waters that made up the local river.  
  
"Where am I?!"   
  
**"Thanks so much, St. John. **It's great. Reminds me so much of home. . ." Natalie looked off dreamily.  
  
St. John had blindfolded Natalie (much to the dismay of Logan) and had driven her in his fiery BMW to the beach, and made dinner for two: shrimp, catfish, gatortail, grits, hushpuppies, coleslaw, green beans, spiced peaches, and keylime pie. Okay, it was a ton of food. But it was good.  
  
"I'm glad you like it, love."  
  
Natalie looked at him questioningly. "Can I ask you something if ya promise not to get mad?"  
  
He grinned. "Go ahead."  
  
"You seem awful nice, St. John. Why are you working for Magneto?"  
  
He swallowed. "Honest truth sheila?"  
  
She grinned. "Well, yeah."  
  
"I was a tough little bugger. Street kid. Always in trouble. Magsey recognized me gifts and offered money, but I said no."  
  
He took a sip of tea and continued.  
  
"I thought nothing of it, until I run into Gambit. He bails me out of a fight. I met up with that bloke when we were tiny kids, when I visited the states with me parents and got lost. Ended up at the Thieves Guild."  
  
"The whaaaa?" Natalie questioned.  
  
He shook his head, grinning. "Nevermind."  
  
"Wait, I've heard of them! They're like the Southern Underworld, right?"  
  
He just stared at her, grinning.  
  
"Right. . .?"  
  
He continued to stare at her with that grin. He crossed his arms.  
  
"Am I right or not?!"  
  
He burst out laughing. "What, I can't mess with you?"  
  
"Fact is, I was right." She said smugly. "So you wound up at the Theives Guild. And what does Gambit have to do with this?"  
  
"He's the Prince of Thieves, love."  
  
"No way!"  
  
"I swear on me own mother's grave!"  
  
This was met with a smack in the back of the head.  
  
"Ow! Bloody 'ell sheila! What did I do?!"  
  
"Don't swear on your mother's grave for goodness sake!"  
  
"Alright then love." He smiled.  
  
"Anyways, back on track. Remy tells me he's working for Magneto in the States. That I should come. Says that bloke's influential. So here I am."  
  
"Fair enough." Natalie mused.  
  
"Okay sheila, your turn."  
  
"Okay. . ." she laughed.  
  
"Well I- ah!" Natalie threw her hands to her forehead, bending over. St. John grabbed her shoulder, trying to pull her up to talk to her.  
  
"Natalie!"  
  
_The water. Everywhere. Rushing up and around her. Hands flew in front, and bolts of energy flew out. The girl pulled herself out of the water, panting heavily. She took a knife from where it had been kept hidden in her boot, and began slashing her arms. She dropped the knife, shaking, blood rushing from her hands. The pain. . ._  
  
Natalie jerked up, shaking. Her glasses fell off to reveal bright green eyes, then they quickly turned dark blue as she grew saddened and upset.  
  
"A mutant's in trouble!"  
  
"Which one?"  
  
"I dunno, she-"  
  
**Ring.  
**  
"Hold on a moment love. It's important."  
  
St. John picked up. "'ello?"  
  
"Pyro, dis Remy. De witch escaped."  
  
"Bloody friggin' 'ell mate! How?"  
  
"Got knocked out an' into de river, homme."  
  
"If it ain't always bleedin' somethin' or other. . ." he sneered.  
  
"Ya gotta come back, homme. Now. Bossman, he be on de prowl."  
  
"Be there soon, mate."  
  
**Click.**  
  
St. John shook his head wearily.  
  
"Natalie, I'm sorry, but I have to bring you home. Something's come up."  
  
"What is it?" She asked him, genuinely concerned. She knew what Magneto was capable of. She'd been stuck in a room with Scott for a day.  
  
"The Bossman's daughter is missing."  
  
Natalie's eyes widened, turning brown.  
  
"And. . . what might her powers be?" 


End file.
